Wild Youth
by Janedoee7
Summary: When Cameron Bane is sent to sleepy town Beacon Hills she thinks no harm can from it. She even hopes this will be a place to start over, make peace with the memories that have been haunting her since she was a child. With Cameron's general appearance itself thrusts her into the world of Lycanthropy will she still be able to hold onto her secrets with an iron grip?
1. Chapter 1

Well this wasn't exactly how I expected to spend my first night out living in Beacon Hills I thought glumly as I picked at a questionable stain in the upholstery on the roof of the police cruiser I'd been manhandled in. Mind you, I hadn't actually done anything wrong _this time._ I couldn't help but wonder why it had been a big deal as to why I was out late sitting by the lake. Could it be this middle of nowhere town was so boring cops pick up kid for doing absolutely nothing?

My thoughts were interrupted when a twitchy, flailing boy was stuffed in the cruiser with me. One look at the kid and I could tell this kid was no real trouble so why was my new cruiser companion stuffed in cop car? By the Sheriff no less? "If I catch you listening in on another one of my phone calls Stiles, I swear I'll let Tara lock you in holding cell until you get the idea."

"What about my Jeep, Dad? I can't just leave it here!" my brows quirked as I watch Twitch press his face against the separation grate. I couldn't help but wonder who in the hell names their own son _Stiles_?

"Guess you should have thought this through when you decided to trample through my investigation." The sheriff huffs looking at his son with disdain through the rearview mirror. "So, Cameron, can I ask why _you _were in the woods late at night?"

"I was blowing off some steam." Stiles all but jumped out of his skin at my presence as he realized he was in fact not alone. The way his eyes bulged he must have thought I was guilty of something. I shot the Sheriffs son my best devil-may-care smile just to set his nerves on edge.

"Look Cameron, I think you're a good kid, I just need to know what you were doing out here tonight; there's been murder and we don't want to risk anyone else getting hurt." Through the separation grate I looked at the sheriff, from what I could see, it was evident by his tired expression wanted me home safe. Too bad I wasn't necessarily safe there either.

"First day of school tomorrow," I sighed "It's a new school to me, I uh, just moved here about a week ago." Stiles seemed to visibly relax, yeah that's right buddy I pinky swear I won't randomly shank you like a common criminal.

"Well, let's get you home then." The sheriff smiled as he put the keys in the ignition.

"Dad, why couldn't I sit shotgun?" Twitch asked whilst chewing on his jacket's drawstring.

The sheriff sighed while pulling onto the road "Because you're an annoying delinquent, Stiles."

I couldn't help but laugh at their bickering, but come on? What kind of name is _Stiles?_As I laughed I chose to ignore the glare being shot my way by the sheriff's odd son.

As the Sheriff pulled into my street, Stiles perked up next to me. Apparently his best friend Scott lived on this street. Goody, I thought, another odd kid I might have to deal with. I thanked the sheriff for the not necessary –but grateful none the less- ride home as he wished me good luck for the following day.

XX

My thigh shook violently as I waited for the guidance counselor, Ms. Morrell in her office for what she liked to call a 'touch base' meeting. Unfortunately I'd been through this process enough to know this wasn't a touch base meeting Ms. Morrell wanted me to believe it was, instead this was going to be a psych evaluation.

"Sorry Athena, I was just getting the rest of your file together; your previous school forgot to fax some things over in the transfer process." A rather frazzled Ms. Morrell said placing my large file on her desk. Huh, I knew my file was…seemingly large, but _that_ large? It looked more like a lethal weapon than a student file.

"It's no problem ma'am." Ms. Morrell wasn't who I was expecting to walk through the door and ask me to open up about my feelings. Instead I was greeted by a young, pin straight raven haired woman with soothing brown eyes. "But I go by Cameron now, I have for a while."

"And why is that?" Ms. Morrell questions as she eases into her chair.

"You have my file. Read it and find out, because I promise you it's a real eye opener." I didn't care if she could hear the hostility in my voice. This counselor was going to learn quickly enough to not pry her way into my life.

"Very well, I'll change it in the system so none of your other teachers make the same mistake." The counselor scanned through my prominent file for a few brief moments. "Seven schools in the past five years, after you were pressed with the charges of auto theft you were sent to a juvenile hall and after your release you went through two more foster homes before coming to Beacon Hills. Does this sound about right to you Miss Bane?"

"Yes Ms. Morrell, that about sums it up. So what's there left to discuss?" I asked biting my lip. I always hated having my file read off to me, on paper it made me sound as if I were nothing more than a troubled delinquent with a shady past. However, even if I was a delinquent like my file suggested I still had admirable traits about myself.

"I'm just curious as to why you've been in the foster care system for ten years and yet to be adopted." Ms. Morrell stated with a killer poker face as she awaited my answer.

"I guess deep down I always knew I was meant to become one of Beacon Hill's finest cyclones." I quipped glancing at the counselor's 'Go Cyclones Go!' posters hanging on the wall. Ms. Morrell gave me a pointed look, clearly expecting a no nonsense answer. Yikes, tough crowd. I sighed, "I'm a ward of the state, just because I've been in the system for X amount of years doesn't mean I'm guaranteed a permanent home; especially because I have no living relatives. In most cases foster kids age out of the system with no permanent home and I'm 16 now, so I'm most likely to age out of the system with no permanent home."

"Do you think your number of temporary homes would be significantly less if not for Benjamin O'Malley?" I bristled at the seemingly innocent question. Ben was the only person I considered family, we were both placed in the same temp home two years ago and had each other's back ever since. If he was kicked out of a home I demanded to follow and vice versa.

"Possibly, but he's family." I bit back. Ms. Morrell smiled reassuringly, trying to calm my already frayed nerves. "If I have to leave a home because Ben didn't make the cut in a home…I'll do it. I mean, it's never hard for me to be up rooted and start over." I shrugged

"And why is that? Why is easy for you to constantly be jostled around?" The counselor challenged, cocking her head. I couldn't help the smirk growing on my face. Morrell was good; instead of taking the sweet and soothing approach, she challenged me. As much as I loved a challenge I couldn't take the bait; if I did this conversation would lead to my parent's death and I was not going to let that happen. So Morrell's brown eyes locked with my amber ones.

"I don't have anything wanting to keep me in one place for long. Ben always tries out for whatever sports team and makes friends but I don't. There's never any point, I don't stay anywhere for long."

Ms. Morrell smiled wickedly, "Then perhaps you should find something to keep you here."

XX

Thanks to my meeting with Ms. Morrell I'd already missed the warning bell for the start of class. Meaning I wouldn't be able to find my class on my own; instead I was told by the office assistant to sit and wait for the assistant principle to escort the new students himself. Unfortunately for me he was running ten minutes late leaving me to sit with a jittery brunette, who was growing even more nervous by the second. The girl next to me was on the phone with her mother whilst destroying her purse repeatedly mumbling "Pen, I need a pen."

"Sorry to keep you two ladies waiting, I'm the assistant principle Mr. Walker." The brunette and I stood at the arrival of our escort.

"Allison Argent." The brunette smiled offering her hand to Mr. Walker for a shake.

"Cameron Bane." I said offering my hand to the assistant principle as well.

Mr. Walker led the way to our class, "So you were saying San Francisco isn't where you grew up?"

"No, but me and my family lived there for more than a year, which is unusual for my family." Allison said with a nod of the head whilst trying to reposition he bag on her shoulder. I kept my head down hoping to avoid any conversation. Hey I was trying not to get into trouble, and I had quite the mouth on me.

"And you Miss. Bane? How was your time in Reno, Nevada?" Hot mostly I internally grumbled. I hated school escorts, it's already an awkward walk to my first period, just let me walk in silence please.

"I didn't really stay there long enough to form an opinion."

"Well hopefully Beacon Hills will be a last stop for the both of you for a while." I tried to ignore the pointed look I receive from Mr. assistant-principle as he motioned towards an English room. As we entered the already dead silent room Mr. Walker decided to embarrass us by introducing us to the class. "Class, these are our new students: Allison Argent and Cameron Bane. Please do your best to make them feel welcome." And with that he slipped out of the room.

I was about to take a seat when a hand grabbed my wrist in a vice grip. I looked down at the unwanted hand on said appendage and flicked my gaze to the owner of the hand: Allison. "Sit with me? Please?" the doe eyed girl pleaded.

I stole a quick glance at the empty seats in the classroom, one in the very back left corner in the room, or two in the middle of the room side by side. Allison still hadn't removed her hand and I could feel her nervous unsteady heartbeat through the tips of her fingers. I sighed inwardly before leading towards the two desks. Would I regret befriending this skittish doe eyed girl? Most likely, but in the words of Ms. Morrell: Find a reason to want to stay. Perhaps I could do just that.


	2. Chapter 2

I had successfully survived my first day at Beacon Hills High School. I was at my locker throwing in all the books I wouldn't be needing tonight for homework. Reflecting on my day today, I hadn't come to regret befriending my new doe eyed friend Allison. Ben, who was a junior this year, shared no classes with me but Allison had only left my side only to go to her French class and the occasional bathroom break.

"How do you think that guy knew I needed a pen?" Allison asked idly leaning against the locker next to mine whilst twirling her hair staring at said boy down the hall.

I glanced down at the hall where the boy and his friend were standing. I found it highly amusing that the boy was probably talking to his friend about his encounter with Allison in first period English this morning. "I don't know, maybe he took what Mr. Walker said to heart and wanted you to feel welcome. Or he thought you were cute and needed an excuse to turn around and look at you? Whatever the reason, don't worry about it. A cute guy gave you a pen, a pen you really needed. Plus it's obvious he wants you to jump his bones."

"Oh my god, no… I mean we don't even…giving me a pen doesn't mean he wants to…" Allison stumbles over her words as cheeks flush scarlet with embarrassment. "No. I'm sure he was just being nice."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night sweetheart."

We were about to walk to the school exit when we were stopped by a small yet intimidating looking girl. "That jacket is absolutely killer! Where did you get it?" The redhead asked eyeing Allison's jacket.

"My mom's was a buyer from a boutique back in San Francisco." The tall brunette smiled politely while she subconsciously fiddled with one of the jacket buttons.

"And you are my new best friend." The blond shot Allison a coy smile all while shooting my outfit a look of distaste. I dressed comfortably, and well, cheaply. My Goodwill outfit didn't shine the brightest in any runway but hey, it's not like I have the money to buy new clothes all the time. However, I still didn't stop myself from self-consciously assessing my outfit: muddy combat boots, high-waisted shorts, black V-neck and my favorite military jacket. It had originally belonged to Ben, but as he grew, it no longer fit so I took it regardless if it was two sizes too big.

A tall blond jock came up behind the girl, wrapping his arms around her. "Hey Jackson." The strawberry blond smiled before kissing him intently. Both Allison and I shot each other wary glances before turning back to the couple.

"So this weekend, there's a party." The blond girl said detaching herself from her boyfriend. Jackson simply nodded as if that's the only invitation we needed.

Again the doe eyed girl and I shared another look, "A party?" we questioned.

"Yeah this Friday night, you two should come." Jackson said smiling at both of us, his girlfriend nodded happily at the prospect of us being there. However, the happy look diminished as Allison and I both gave bogus excuses as to why we couldn't go. I avoided parties. I have since I sobered up, house parties tended to supply everything I tried to avoid.

I excused myself from the conversation leaving behind a very disgruntled Allison in the hands of Beacon Hill's golden couple. I set down the skateboard, which was my only form of transportation, and idly skated down the hall passed the puppy-eyed, pen giving boy Allison was enamored with.

XX

After I received several text messages from Ben on my crappy prepaid cellphone, to meet him on the field; I redirected myself to the school's field to see what he needed. So here I was laying on a bleacher reading my borrowed copy of Franz Kafka's _The Metamorphosis._ Although Ben and I never lived anywhere long, Ben always tried to fit in as best as he could manage, even if it meant trying out for a sport he's never played. I don't know how or who had lent him the equipment, but I was at Ben's lacrosse practice.

My attention was quickly stolen away from Gregor Samsa transforming into a giant cockroach like vermin to the laughing on the lacrosse field. Allison's puppy-eyed sweetheart was lying flat on his back while his team pointed and laughed.

Tucking the novella into my messenger bag I propped myself up on my elbows to watch how this practice would draw out. "Something catch your attention finally?" The redhead girl from earlier said from behind me. I turned to her still in my half laying position.

"Well the persistent laughing was hard to ignore after a while." I quipped sitting up noticing Allison's flinch. I shot the brunette an apologetic smile. "Maybe he'll do better?"

And I was right. After puppy eyed dusted himself off he'd managed to catch every ball that whizzed his way. Being the overly proud sister I was, I hoped he wouldn't catch Ben's throw. However, a very irate Jackson smacked my foster brother with his lacrosse stick.

I was going to take a leap of faith and say Jackson was Beacon's poster child for lacrosse, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised at the current testosterone show down that was going on between Jackson and Allison's cute nameless boy. I was confused as to why Jackson's girlfriend was cheering, the shaggy haired boy had blocked Jackson's throw. I had a feeling the brown eyed boy had passed one of the blond girl's unknown test and an unwelcome power play had just been made.

XX

The week had past relatively smooth considering the first day I'd dealt with. My lunches were spent at a table I'd never thought I'd sit at in my high school career: the popular table. The people at the table were surprisingly nice, even the strawberry blond who I later found out was named Lydia. The table had consisted of Jackson Whittemore, Lydia Martin, Danny Mahealani, Allison, Ben and I.

Throughout the week all anyone could talk about at our table was Lydia's party later tonight. Allison was gushing over her date with her brown eyed cutie Scott McCall, Lydia and Jackson debated over the music selection whilst badgering me to come to the party, and Danny a very cute but very gay boy shared long glances with a very interested Ben O'Malley. I guess if one sibling couldn't have the boy, the other could.

When the bell rang signaling the end of the school day I made an immediate beeline for my locker. I was having a shit day and just wanted to leave, I had a crap ton of homework and I had to report to John, my drunkard foster father of the moment. I was dreading having to go to John's after school on a Friday, he would be drunk and a drunk John was an abusive John.

As I opened my locker my brows furled in confusion, why did I have an extra book in my locker? I grabbed the book and flipped it over to read the cover _Animal behavior: A Pack Mentality._ I glanced at either end of the hall hoping it was a prank but as of yet no one came over laughing. It didn't take long for something like this to happen though, with the wolf-like amber eyes, a surnamed that was questionable for Wolfsbane and an animal attack that left both my parent dead; it was pretty easy to poke jokes at with the never ending wolfiness. But it would be nice to have the occasion _Twilight _joke thrown in there I thought as I grabbed by board whilst shoving the book in my bag.

XX

I stormed into Beacon Hills High's library trying not to attract as much attention as possible. John had been wasted when I got home and as time passed it only got worse. Ben slipped out of the house for the party without ease, but when I asked if I could go to the library all hell breaks loose like what the fuck? All in all, I'd stormed out of the house with a split lip after being back handed into a dresser.

So after the mile and half later I threw my stuff on a study corral in the back corner of the library, I propped my skateboard up on the side of the desk. It was now seven and the library was pretty dead even for a Friday night. I'd found out that Beacon is so small the High School's library also doubled as a public library for the whole town. I cracked open the Animal Behavior book and decided to read it as I read I subconsciously bit my lip, wincing when I reopened my already throbbing wound.

I couldn't concentrate on the text in front of me as I let my mind wonder off. These were the moments I hated, the wondering off. When my mind did wonder it tended to drift toward my parents and that was something I didn't want. Maybe that's why I don't allow myself to sleep at night, I thought about my severe case of self-inflicted insomnia.

I always busied myself, never allowing the numb feeling of loss that always came when I thought about my parent's murder. I always preferred the anger I felt towards myself, the being unable to remember how it happened; only the After, the After that consisted of my six year old self standing over my parents mangled bodies not sure if I was standing in my blood or my parents. I pet the necklace I'm wearing, my parent's wedding bands and my mom's engagement ring on a simple silver chain.

Feeling heavy hearted I gave up on read entirely and rested my head on the book, crossing my arms over it as a makeshift pillow. The thing about foster kids is we can sleep almost anywhere because you never know where your bed for the night is going to be. Hopefully soon I'd be staying in the school's boiler room once I was able to snag the keys from the janitor. I closed my eyes and let the darkness of sleep take over me.

Before I know it I'm being jostled awake by who I think is the old librarian woman telling me its closing time, However the strength and size of the hand shaking my shoulder tells me otherwise. I painfully peeled my cheek off the cover of my book, I looked over at the man who had awakened me from my not so graceful slumber…I just hoped I hadn't being drooling or snoring.

My amber eyes flicked over to raven haired slab of hard, defined muscle. His brows quirked over his pale green eyes and our eyes locked. "Huh?" I yawn not so gracefully.

"You okay?" green eyes asked as his gaze locked on my lips. Unease flooded me as his eyes locked on my split lip. I sucked in my bottom lip hoping he'd stop staring.

"Yeah, I should…I should go, Thanks for waking me up." I tried feeling for my board but came up empty handed.

Green Eyes must have notice my distress and with a sympathetic look help up something in either hand. "Looking for this?" He asked handing over whatever it was to me. My heart rate skyrocketed as I realized it was my skateboard, broken in half. My head whipped up to the possible suspect "Did you…?" I could barely choke out a full sentence.

I placed both halves together to evaluate the damage; surprisingly it was a clean break aside from the… claw marks. I looked back up to the stoic man before me who at least had the decency to look guilty. "Some kids were messing with it and bolted when it broke."

"And you didn't think to stop them?" I snapped

"And you didn't think to wake up sooner?"

The side effects of being a self-confessed insomniac who deliberately deprives themselves of sleep resulted in when actually sleeping, you sleep like a rock. Like post-apocalyptic chaos could break loose and my sleep deprived ass would be sound asleep confused for a dead body.

I dropped my head in my hands. My day couldn't get any worse could it? My only form of wheels was broken in half in my lap. "Do you need a ride?" Green Eyes asked in a gruff, uncomfortable voice. I nodded meekly in defeat.

Once sitting shot gun in a stranger's very nice Chevrolet Camaro I could practically feel the agitation radiating off my attractive brooding chauffeur. "So what were you doing in the library? I mean you look too old to be a student and too young to be a teacher." I asked trying to plaster on a lopsided grin, but let me be honest I was heartbroken over the fact my skateboard was broken. The only bright side being my mysterious driver was incredibly hot.

Green Eyes lips quirked up momentarily before it disappeared under all the brooding. "I was looking for my friend Scott." His eyes hardened and his knuckled tightened over the wheel as his gaze flicked up to the full moon.

"McCall?"

"Yeah…you know him?" his eyes search my face hopping for a yes.

"Yeah he's at a party tonight; if you make a left the house is right up the road." I said pointing to a break in the road that led to Lydia's house. Without warning green eye's car drifted to make the turn to the party. Thank god for seatbelts.

"Do you mind if I make a quick detour?" He asked in a hard voice. I couldn't say no, with his voice he could ask me to commit murder and it would sound logical. Well, it also was his car so he could do what he damned near pleases him to his stoic heart's content.

Within minutes we pull up in Lydia's driveway catching the party in full swing. "Stay here." Green eyes bolts from the car leaving me behind in his passenger seat.

As wrong as it is I snoop through good looking's car, only to come up empty handed _literally_. This guy had nothing in his car, not even a manual or anything. For some reason I don't know, can't decide if it's sad or slightly unsettling; I'm willing to bet the latter.

Ten minutes later the tall frame of my green eyed chauffeur makes his way to the car with tearful Allison Argent in tow. What?

Allison climbed into the back of the car wiping away several stray tears. "Allison?"

The dazed brunette turns to me at the call of her name, confusion setting deeper into the girl's brow. "Cameron, what are you doing here?" Her tone wasn't accusatory but it wasn't exactly joyous to see me.

"Hitching a ride, you?" I quickly jutted by chin toward green eyes who was putting the car in reverse.

"Same, Scott completely and utterly freaked at the party. Like got in his car and drove off leaving me stranded." Allison let anger dominate her soft features before the sadness that demanded to be felt took command. "You haven't talked to him have you? I just don't understand what went wrong."

I shook my head at a loss for words. After that silence enveloped the car, minus Allison directing the still mysterious man driving two teenaged girls home. The drive from the party to Allison's house was 15 minutes of unadulterated awkward silence.

"Is your lip okay?" Allison asked breaking the palpable silence in the small cab of the Camaro.

I touched my lip to check for blood but coming up empty. "Yeah I'm fine; it was a skateboarding accident, my board wasn't so lucky though." To prove my point I lifted both halves of the broken board. White lies wouldn't hurt the girl.

Silence filled the car once more. I tried my hardest not to notice the mystery man watching me with confusion from the corner of my eye. I rested my head on the window staring up at the placid full moon.

When reaching Allison's house she thanked the still (to me) nameless driver with a tight, polite smile before marching up to the door and taking the tension with her.

"What street do you live on?"

"Am I going to get a name from you anytime soon?"

We both glanced at one another, locking gazes in a showdown wondering who would answer first. Realizing he wasn't going to be talking I caved leveling my gaze forward. "1422 Orchard Road."

Twenty minutes later we were parked at the front curb of my current 'home'. I ran my hand through my mess of curls not quite sure what to do or say. Preparing for a quick getaway I grabbed my bag into my lap whilst pulling out the only money I currently had to my name, which sadly was only $20.

I licked my lips nervously, handing over the worn paper bill. "Thanks for the ride."

I was answered with a questioning quirk of green eye's brow as he eyed the money in my extended hand. He made no move to take the money.

"For gas," I assured. "I mean this thing has to be a gas guzzler, and you didn't have to drive me home." I glance at the meter indicating he was running on empty. The olive toned man still made no move to take the money from my extended arm.

With an irate eye roll, I placed the money in the center consul's cup holder. With that I shoved myself out of the car. Just as I'm about to slam the door shut I hear a soft mumbled, "Derek."

I turned around curious, wondering if I'd actually heard him speak. "What?"

"Derek," The man addressed himself as if he were admitting to a secret that needed to be whispered. "Derek Hale."

"Cameron," I couldn't help the smile growing on my face. "Cameron Bane."

* * *

**And so the fated pair have met!**

**Ok so I wanted to thank everyone that had read, favorited, followed and reviewed the story so far! I'm pretty new to this whole fanfiction thing so _please _let me know what you think. Tell me what you like or even what you don't like so I know what you guys would be interested in reading.**

**So if any of you are curious about Cameron's FC, if you couldn't tell by the cover page it's a yellow eyed Phoebe Tonkin. Who I believe wholeheartedly embodies who I hope to depict Cammy as.**

**Oh and if you'd like to follow me on my tumblr for future preview, possible AU's and my overall spastic antics.**


	3. Chapter 3

"Can you kindly tell me what the hell Lydia's problem is?" I asked sliding into the back of Danny's 2011 Mustang GT. I pushed the seat up so Ben could sit in the passenger seat. Danny has been driving Ben to school in the mornings with the addition of me since I no longer had a skateboard or twenty dollars for a new one.

"What did Lyd do now?" Danny asked pulling off the curb while Ben took command of the radio flipping it to a pop station

"Besides being a bat-shit crazy lunatic?" Danny and Ben chuckled at my accusation.

"I'm still waiting for a real issue over here." The Hawaiian boy said completely deadpanned.

"Well for starters, she cornered me in the girl's locker room throwing a bag of her old clothes at me saying 'there out of season but it's better than what you've got to wear.' And something about stepping up my A game?" I leaned forward to make sure they weren't droning me out. "And to be quite honest, I was offended when she suggested I start wearing makeup."

Danny started laughing. This boy was honest to god _laughing._ "Oh man, Cammy, That's just Lydia. As crazy as it seems, that's her way of saying she cares."

"She has a funny way of showing it." I grumbled sitting back in my seat.

Deciding we needed a topic change, "You two excited for the game this Saturday?" I drummed on their headrests in anticipation.

"Yeah should be fun, I'm goalie so I don't see _that_ much action. I just block shots." Danny shrugged as Ben replied with "Kinda nervous, I made first line but this'll be my first game." I smiled as Danny laced his fingers with my figurative brother.

"You'll be fine, I promise."

As we pulled into Beacon's student parking lot and into Danny's usual parking spot, I tapped Danny's shoulder to let me off on his side. "Once I get a job and buy a new board, you driving me is only temporary." I whispered hoping Luke couldn't hear me.

"I don't mind." He shrugged.

"Yeah but _I _do." I liked not having to rely on someone to get me where I needed to go.

"You're my friend Cammy," Danny motioned towards his car. "This is what friends do."

"Is it because we're friends or is it because of my brother?" I ask, flicking my gaze to Ben, who had yet to notice we weren't following.

Danny's cheeks flush half a shade brighter, "Is it bad if I say both, because I just really want him to like me."

"Did he tell you?" I ask already knowing the answer.

"Yeah, h-he told me about the both of you." Danny stuttered, I wondered just how much Ben told him. Danny seemed like he could handle the truth about us, but I don't know if I would have wanted him to know. He made Ben happy so I could be okay with it.

I smiled, trying to reassure the enamored boy, "Then you have nothing to worry about. " I slung my arm around his shoulders, "come on, you have practice to get to."

"You're just hoping to see Jackson get hurt." Danny said with an exasperated roll of his eyes. Danny might have been friends with Jackson, but he was willing to acknowledge the fact Jackson was an obnoxious tool bag.

"What else do I have to look forward to today?"

XX

Later that night John and his wife Mary-Anne were fighting once again, the topic of choice: Me and Ben. To be more specific, John didn't want us in his house because I quote, "Them goddamn kid take up too much goddamn space in _my_ goddamned house eating all _my_ goddamned food."

So I was sitting out on the curb in front of the house strumming a guitar Ben managed to pack when we moved here. I had a notebook and a pencil trying to write any lyrics that came to mind.

"And you want to kiss me, kiss my pretty face." I sang while strumming the guitar. "Don't you want to kiss me? Or the mask that's in its place?"

The yelling in the house only managed to get louder as played louder to drown them out. "Let me give you a warning, I got no taste. No I got not taste. yeah I just taste like nothing, just sucking the darkness of space."

A cough alerted me I was no longer alone, causing me to jump. I looked up to find a smirking Derek Hale standing before me. "Uh…can I help you?" I asked through uneasy confusion, my interaction with Derek Hale was supposed to be a one-time thing, but here he was standing before me, not that I was complaining or anything.

"You're good." He smirked eyeing the guitar, "But now that you mention it, you can help me with a few things."

I raised a brow clearly not amused with his coy behavior. He ran a hand through his thick black hair before stuffing his hands into a very nice leather jacket. "I was cleaning out my car and found this." He pulled out a long silver chain with three rings on it out of his pocket.

My eyes widened as my hand grazed my collarbones to feel for the chain I never took off, only to come up empty handed. "How did you? I mean when did I? Huh, thank you." I delicately took the chain with my nimble fingers from his coarse ones.

"Thank you." I said again looking into his pale green eyes. "You don't know how important this thing is to me." I slipped the chain back over my head; Derek's eyes never left my amber ones almost as if he were waiting, for what I didn't know.

"Something tells me you didn't come all the way here just to return a necklace?" I asked searching for ulterior motive. Over the years I'd grown wary of stranger's kindness. And strangers in general.

"Which house does Scott McCall live in?" Derek asked stone faced once more. I point to the house directly in front of mine. "You almost had it there princess." I said with a smirk watching as he walked off admiring how his too tight leather jacket constricted around his back.

XX

I was late to Spanish. So, so, so majorly late to Spanish and had yet to even make it to my locker when the wind got knocked out of me as I collided with someone's a built frame. "Ah fuck." Was all I managed to gasp out as I tried to regain the oxygen in my lungs as I sat up from being knocked flat on my back.

"Oh my God I am so sorry I didn't even…I mean I was in a rush and didn't see…are you okay? Should I get the nurse?" A jumpy, very eccentric, yet familiar voice rambled.

I rubbed my eyes; "Police Cruiser Stiles?" the slight throb indicated how hard I hit my head.

"And Scott McCall." A different voice said

I cracked my eyes open looking at the flurry of my stuff strewn on the floor. "Fuck."

Two other pairs of hand helped pick up my stuff. "Sorry." Stiles mumbled again.

"_A Pack Mentality?_" Scott mumbled the title of my Animal Behavior book slightly nervous.

I smiled looking up at the two boys. "It's no problem; I'm just really late for Spanish."

Both boys stiffened considerably, taking a cautionary step back. I glanced over my should wondering what had these boys so down right fearful; I didn't see anything down the hall.

"S-Scott…" Stiles said griping a fistful of Scott's hoodie

"Yep." Scott stuttered with equal amount of fear.

Maybe they had gotten more hurt in our collision than I had. "Are you okay?" I glanced over Stiles' body for any damage, nothing. "Is he okay? Are you okay?" I questioned Scott.

"Come on, it's not like I bite or anything." I joked trying to calm their nerves. Stiles however, paled considerably.

"Did Derek," Scott began to question. "You know?"

My eyebrows skyrocketed. When did this become about Derek Hale, whom I'd only spoken two twice? "Did he what?"

"God dammit did Derek Hale give you the- woah!" Stiles stepped forward and tried encircling his hands around my forearms. Little known fact I don't like being manhandled. So before Stiles can even touch me, I had his arms pinned behind his back and slammed him against the lockers.

Through labored breathing Stiles managed to mutter "This is the second time I've gotten thrown up against the wall by a werewolf."

"A _Werewolf?_ I squawked stepping away from the sheriff's son.

"Yeah, I said a werewolf. Derek bit you so you could join pack." Stiles snapped hiking his jacket back into place. I snorted at his sheer stupidity; with all the pranks I'd been through this was by far the best so I decided to play along.

"Really, and what makes you think I'm a werewolf?"

"Well for starters, your eyes." Scott said finding the will to speak

"And your last name is Bane for crying out loud! It screams out Wolfsbane!" Stiles exclaimed flailing his arms around.

"No."

"YES."

"No."

"OH MY GOD! YES!"

"Do even know what Bane means you idiots?" I snapped. "It has three meanings. It can mean poison, in Slavic it means 'glorious defender' or in Hawaiian it means 'long awaited child.' But hey Danny's name means full moon. Are you harassing him?"

Not waiting for an answer I picked up my bag and made a beeline for my locker down the other hallway. Once I'd reached it I opened it to find a pile of dirt, sticking out of it was a Wolfsbane plant. What the hell is going on?

My hopes of this being a sick joke were wearing thin.

XX

Later that night and the stands were already beginning to fill up with supporting spectators such as myself. "Cameron!" I turned to the voice calling my name I smiled as I eye flicked over to Allison waving excitedly with her father in tow. "Cam, this is my dad. Dad, this is Cam." Allison smiled introducing me to her DILF of a father.

"It's a pleasure to meet you sir." I held out my hand, smiling into his fierce blue eyes. His eyes narrowed increasingly so, in an intimidating over protect fatherly way.

"Nice to meet you too, Cameron. Allison has told me a lot about you." He greeted accepting my hand for a shake.

Allison scurried to pull me aside before we all settle down for Beacon Hill's first game of the season. "Oh did you put my jacket back in my locker?"

"What jacket?" I question with a furled brow.

"The one I wore to Lydia's party." My confusion deepened. I hadn't even been at the party, how would I have gotten her jacket? She almost ripped off the buttons while in Derek's car.

Derek.

Derek could have put it in her locker.

It explained a lot of things. Stiles and Scott's reservation towards me, the questionable things put into my locker, it even explained why Derek came to talk to me, to give me back my necklace. I knew I didn't take it off in his car, let alone leave it there.

"You know, maybe Lydia put it in my locker." Allison says with a dismissive shrug of her shoulder.

"Yeah. I'm sure your right." My mind was reeling when the cheering in the stands snapped my attention back to the field. When the game started everyone started cheering and the game started out with Beacon scoring by Jackson. Who earned a deafening roar from the home team spectators. Lydia and Allison both lifted a sign that said "We luv U Jackson." A very dismayed Scott noticed the sign and ran to his position. However our team was two points behind as time passed. Ben had been benched, by Finstock, who had receive a full on blow from a very pissed the fuck off number eleven.

"Which one is Scott again?" Mr. Argent asked to no one in particular.

"Number eleven, otherwise the only one who has yet to catch a single ball the entire game." Lydia snapped, eye green eyes never leaving the field.

"I hope he's okay" worry dripping from Allison's voice.

"I hope _we're_ okay." Lydia fired back

I placed a hand over Allison's arm, "I'm sure he's fine, he just needs to relax. I'll be right back I need to check on my brother, who Scott rammed down."

I climbed down the stands and hopped over the back of the team's designated bench. "Hey, you okay?" I asked rubbing Ben's injured arm.

Lopsided grin and all Ben looked over at me. "I'm all good, we just better win."

I watch McCall glance over at the stands, a glare flitting across his features and momentarily his eyes flashed the same golden amber that held a striking resemblance to my own golden eyes. I glanced over at Stiles whose worry was evident on his features as he chewed on his gloves.

I slid down the bench to the overly twitchy boy. "Stiles?"

"Hmmm?" He was too distracted to see that it was me talking to him.

"What color are Scott's eyes?" I asked hoping he'd stay distracted enough to let the answer slip.

"Brown-OH OHOH YES YES!" Stiles cheered as Scott made a goal.

"Do they normally change colors?" I question hoping I wasn't pressing my luck.

"Come on, come on, come on!" Stiles shouts towards the field, to who I'm not sure.

"Stiles do Scott's eyes change color?"

"Maybe…Yellow. Yeah, he has a gold eyes right now." God bless teenaged attention spans.

With that I slipped away from the field, my mind reeling from the thought maybe Scott and Stiles weren't pulling some practical joke after all. Derek and Scott knowing each other had to mean something.

With the flowered plant tucked into my bag, I silently made the trek to Beacon Hill's Police Station. Things were definitely not adding up between Scott and Derek and I was determined to find out what.

XX

I arrived at the Police Station 30 minutes later from the three mile hike from the school to the station. I walked up to the front desk to speak to the dark skinned woman whose badge read 'Tara.' "How can I help you Miss?" Tara asked.

"I was wondering if it were possible to speak with Derek Hale?" I'd had thirty minutes to process what I was going to say but had yet to come up with a logical thought other than werewolf.

Tara looked like a no bullshit woman who was not going to let me in at all; so I pulled a little trick out of my proverbial sleeve. "Has Derek Hale made his one call?" I questioned.

"No, but I don't see how that's any of your conc-"

"Then he's allowed a visitor in its place." I interrupted desperate to get in and see him. I could feel my heart beating so hard in chest it was literally beginning to ache.

Tara smiled, motioning for me to follow her to the cell Derek had holed up. You would think he was at home rather than a jail cell considering the way he was lounging on the concrete block they called a bed.

The heavy metal door closed with a clank behind me. My gaze locked on Derek, amber eyes glaring down at green ones. "What are you doing here?"

"What the hell is this?" I yelled ripping the plant from my bag and throwing it at him, feeling satisfied when the dirt splattered down the front of his shirt.

With his cuffed hands he delicately picked up the plant, plucking a flower off a stem. "This is a flowered plant." He answered without missing a beat.

"It's Wolfsbane. What I want to know is why was it in my locker." I had only known of Derek Hale for little over a week and didn't seem like the type to surprise easily, but if I had a camera the look of pure, unadulterated shock was almost priceless.

"It was inside your locker?"

"Yes, boy wonder, in my locker. And why is Scott McCall convinced that you _bit_ me and turned me into a fucking _werewolf?_

* * *

**Dun. Dun. Dun. Cammy's in the know, well kind of. Let me know what you thought of this chapter, and questions, comments, or concerns pertaining to this chapter or the story in general. Why do you think Cameron what let into the loop so early? What do you think is up with her? Let me know!**

**Thank you to those who reviewed. It's greatly appreciated and gives me motivation to crank these puppies out (Pun intended.)**

**Oh and just curious what would Cameron and Derek's ship name be? I was thinking either: Cerek, Dameron or Camerk? Personally I'm leaning towards Camrek.**


	4. Chapter 4

Deputy Tara Graeme interrupted our current stare down when she entered the jail cell. "Well congratulations Mr. Hale, you didn't kill your sister.

Wait. His _sister_? The body was his sister?

"I said that the first five minutes I was here." Derek growled.

The Deputy seemed unfazed by this outburst and simply replied, "You did bury her body on your property."

Derek huffed and followed the Deputy to sign his release paperwork. I on the other hand waited outside chewing on my protesting cuticles. I'd picked up the habit of nail biting in times of stress or nervousness instead of chain smoking until I couldn't breathe.

Several minutes later Derek exited the station without even a second glance my way. "Hey!" I called after him. "Wait up!"

After catching up to him we both walked in silence. "I'm sorry about your sister." I mumbled breaking the silence. By the tick of his jaw I could tell he didn't want to talk about. But in all honesty, did anyone like talking about loss?

"No one would believe you." Derek said callously. My heartbeat picked up, he wasn't denying it.

I shrugged biting at my thumb nail once more, "I never said I'd tell anyone."

"And why's that?" He snapped.

I turned to look at him, his face devoid of any emotion. "It's not my secret to tell anyone."

"Then why do need to know?"

"I don't."

Confusion settled in his brow, "What?"

"I don't _need_ to know, I_ want_ to know." I sighed shoving my hands in my pockets, "You don't have to tell me everything, just why Scott would think I am one."

We continued walking down the side of the road in silence once more. I didn't think he'd tell me, Derek was a mystery, an enigma if you will. And it was evident Derek held his secrets in a die-hard grip.

"You have Beta eyes." Derek said after a long moment of silence (minus the sound of our feet on the pavement.) In terms of an animal pack the betas were the followers of the pack while their leader was an alpha. The omegas were basically the bitches of the group.

But these weren't wolves. These were werewolves, two completely different things.

"Beta eyes?" I squeaked in surprise.

"Most betas have amber eyes." Derek huffed in annoyance, like explaining anything of this was a great inconvenience to him.

"Most?"

Derek scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably, "Like me, others have blue eyes instead of amber."

I thought back to everyone who stared at my eyes while I'd been in Beacon Hills, Scott was terrified, Derek had waited for something to happen, and then there was Allison's father, who was suspicious.

"Is Chris Argent a werewolf?" I asked, wondering where he fell on the totem pole of animal dominance. I didn't read much, but when I did, it was an obsessive need to know more about wolves. Mainly because it's all I had left of my parents. "Alpha, Beta or Omega?"

Derek snorted in amusement, "Argent is not a werewolf, and he's far from it."

My brows furled as I grew more and more confused. "When we were at the game he kept watching me as if I were about to go rabid."

He cursed silently under his breath while raking a hand through his already disheveled hair. "Try and stay away from him. He's a werewolf hunter and the Argents have been hunting my kind for centuries."

I knew he was being serious but I couldn't help the snort that escaped me. "Isn't that a little too Buffy?"

Derek threw his hands up in exasperation and huffed, "Look if suspects you at all he will not hesitate to kill you and cut you in half."

I winced at the thought of my body mangled and cut in half, but if I were to die it seemed appropriate. I walked ahead of Derek fiddling senselessly with my necklace as I tried to wrap my head around this new information. Then again, I did ask for it.

I remembered the book and the wolfsbane I had found in my locker. I pulled out the battered textbook and handed it over to Derek, who was still walking behind me. "This was the first thing I found in my locker, I found the flowers later."

Derek's face darkened instantly giving me the impression he didn't know what to make of this. "So you don't know what this means either?" I ask biting my lip.

"No but whoever did wants you to know a pack's dynamic." He said flipping through a few pages of the book before handing it back over. I quickly shoved the book back into my bag.

"So…could another werewolf have put that stuff in there?" I ask kicking a rock out of my path.

"I'm not sure but it is possible." Derek said kicking the rock back at me. This pattern followed for quite some time, each of us kicking the rock as we walked down the road that would lead to the main road in town.

"Are wolf packs similar to werewolf packs?" I ask thinking aloud after Derek miscalculated his kick causing the rock to skid off to the side of the road.

"In a sense, yes the dynamics are similar," I watched as Derek's brows furl in confusion. "But what I don't understand is why you, I mean you're not a werewolf."

"Should I be offended?" I asked nervously. "Or worried that I'm being singled out by a werewolf?"

"No, I think you should be safe." In a way I wondered if he was assuring me or himself.

"Then does that mean whoever put it in there wants me to help you and Scott?" I questioned.

"I don't know," Derek pursed his lips in thought. "but it couldn't hurt. Scott needs more competent friends."

We continued walking in content silence. I tried processing what I was told and what I had seen today. The nagging feeling that this could still be a prank bothered me more that it should, I wouldn't call Derek a friend by any means but it didn't mean I felt comfortable with him.

"How do I know this isn't some elaborate prank?" I ask voicing my own thoughts. "I mean this wouldn't be the first time, and what I saw with Scott could have been a trick of the light."

Derek's hand encircled my forearm forcing me to face him. He blinked exaggeratedly several times before his pale green eyes turned a vivid electric blue. His knowing smirk turned into a full grin causing my breath to catch in my throat, but it wasn't until I realized canines sprouted from his top and bottom teeth. As quickly as the sharp canines appeared they vanished just as quickly.

"I-I guess that answers the question of do you turn into an actual wolf." I quipped trying to remain composed. The completely rational side of my brain told me to run for the hills and never look back, but my impulsive side craved the possible danger that would ensue.

"Goodnight." Derek said with an amused smirk before stalking off. I realized in my questioning we had walked from the station all the way to the Bennett household. I watched as Derek's figure disappeared altogether. I walked inside the house ignoring John's verbal abuse as I climbed up the stairs. I changed into pajamas and plopped into bed, slightly giddy that Derek Hale walked me home.

XX

"Allison!" I called after the brunette who skipped ahead of me. "Can we like, go? We're going to be late for English and I still need to go to my locker!"

"Come on, don't you want to see a crime scene? I heard it was another animal attack." Allison said heaving the door open to where the destroyed yellow bus was located.

"I'd actually like to see the inside of my locker, and should it bother me that you're excited to see a crime scene?" I ask trying my hardest to not notice the claw marks on the door. From the looks of it whatever (whoever?) did this ripped up and destroyed the bus, leaving it coated with blood.

"No it shouldn't, it just that interesting ever happened in San Francisco, or at least I never saw anything interesting." My doe eyed friend said with talking her eyes off the swarm of cops circling the trashed school bus. "Do you think they'll cancel class? Cause there is a test in French I really do not want to take."

"Probably not." I say as I watch the cops take pictures. "But you can always ditch."

"My dad would kill me if he found out."

I winced at the thought. After finding out your friend's family kills people didn't sit well with me even if it was a joke on Allison's part. As a result I'd spent the entire drive to school in paranoia that my friend would kill me in her Prius at any given moment. However, I did recall how she called me balling her eyes how because she believed she killed a stray dog with said car.

I rolled my eyes at my friend's childish fascination. Encircling my hands around her arm I dragged her away from the crime scene. "How about we talk about something more interesting? Oh! I know! How about your date with Scott?"

She laughed as she took command over her arm once more. "I told you in the car, we don't know what we're doing yet. But it would be awesome if you helped me pick out an outfit."

"Yeah, no problem." I shrugged maybe it would give me the opportunity to prove to father I wasn't a threat. Even if he thought I was a threat would he kill his daughter's friend? I was pulled out of my thoughts when I heard a loud metallic clank.

"Did you hear that?" I asked wondering what the noise could have been.

Allison shook her head in confusion, "I didn't hear anything."

I was about to say something else when a distressed Scott McCall rounded the corner, barreling into Allison.

"You scared the hell out of me." Allison laughed as she bent down to pick up her books.

"You really have a knack for that don't you?" I smirk watching Scott help his girlfriend pick up her belongings. I felt satisfied when Scott shot me a glare to which I responded with an innocent smile. I mean it wasn't _my _fault he ran into everyone in the hallway.

"Are you okay?" Scott asks handing over Allison's textbooks.

"I will be when my heart starts beating again, yeah." She says, catching his relieved expression, "What?"

"I'm just happy to see you."

"_Attention, students, this is your principle I know you're all wondering about the incident that occurred last night to one of our buses. While the police work to determine what happened, classes will proceed as scheduled."_

Allison shot me a disappointed smile before turning back to Scott. "Save me a seat at lunch?" She ruffled his hair before turning to walk away.

I looked down the hall and saw locker door hanging off its hinges vaguely remembering it was Jackson's locker. Scott turned to see what I was looking at and turned sheepish.

With a smirk I asked, "Cujo need a chew toy?"

Scott glared as I turned down the hall to follow Allison down the hall, towards English.

After English, Allison and I parted ways, her to take her dreaded French test and I to have an hour to myself for free period. I decided to spend my free period in the library hoping I could figure out who put the wolf book in my locker.

I walked up to the checkout counter to see a tall, curly blonde haired boy I was fairly certain was in my Chemistry class. Isaac, I think his name was. He seemed nice but tragically shy and withdrawn. I'd seen Isaac around school plenty enough times to know he didn't really have any friends and ate his lunches alone.

"Hey Isaac I didn't know you worked in the library?" I asked setting the book down on the wooden counter.

The tall boy who had been avoiding eye contact blinked at me owlishly. "C-Cameron? Y-you know my name?"

My face twisted into confusion, "Why wouldn't I?"

Isaac shrugged dropping his eyes downcast once more. "You're in Lydia's group."

My eyebrows skyrocketed at his comment. When did Lydia Martin own me? "And that's supposed to mean?"

"You're group doesn't really talk to the outcasts." Isaac mumbles whilst flicking a paperclip on the counter.

"Good thing I don't follow rules then huh?" I say with a smirk, causing Isaac to look up me with a small smile.

"S-so did you need something?" The tall boy stuttered trying to appear productive.

"Yeah I found a book in my locker and I was wondering if you could help me figure out whose it is."

"Yeah sure just let me scan the barcode." Isaac takes the book from the counter and scans the barcode. Whatever Isaac sees on the computer causes him to furl his brows in confusion. He picked up the book once more and scanned it again causing his confused look to deepen his boyish features.

"What's wrong?" I ask trying to lean over the counter to look at the computer screen behind the desk.

"Um, nothing, it just says the book was checked out under your name." Isaac says turning the monitor for me to see, and there it is my school I.D number and everything. I bit my lip slightly unsettled at the fact that this son of a bitch knew my locker combination and my I.D number. "Is something wrong?" Isaac asks noticing my distressed expression.

"No, I'm fine. I guess I just forgot I checked it out a while ago." I lie putting the book back into my satchel. "Thanks for the help Isaac."

"Yeah it was no problem. I guess I'll see you around then?" The curly haired boy asks hopefully.

"Yeah, most definitely, maybe even save me a seat at lunch one day?" Isaac nod fervently promising me he'd one day cash in on my promise to eat lunch with him. It was now I felt genuine anger towards my strawberry blonde friend, because in her quest for popularity she'd gone out of her to ostracize others. It made me angrier because of it; a really nice guy had to spend his lunch period alone.

The day had gone relatively smooth, unfortunately that ended come fourth period Chemistry. I'd been droning out Mr. Harris' monotonous snark for a good portion of the class.

"Mr. Stilinski, if that's your idea of a hushed whisper, you might want to pull the headphones out every once in a while." Mr. Harris snapped turning away from the chalkboard.

"I think you and McCall would benefit from a little distance, yes?" Mr. Harris said planting his hands on his hips. I groaned internally there were only two open lab benches, mine and a girl who sat three rows ahead of me.

"No." the sheriff's son groaned at out teacher. Harris pointed at Stiles and pointed to the empty stool next to me.

"Let me know if the separation anxiety gets to be too much." Harris deadpanned, turning back to the board to continue on with the lesson I had successfully ignored.

The perpetually flailing boy scoffed as he sat down next to me but not before sliding the stool as far away from me as he possibly could while still being able to sit at the table.

"Stiles." I welcome with a nod noticing his thigh was shaking with anxiety.

"I'm not afraid of you." Stiles says shooting a sidelong glare at me. "Or Derek."

"I'm not giving you a reason to." I say quirking my brow at him.

"Well I'm sorry, being body checked into a set of lockers doesn't really constitute as trust does it?"

"Neither does being forcefully grabbed against your will."

Stiles opened and closed his mouth about to say something before turning around to look back at the chalkboard.

"Look, I haven't told anyone if that's what you and Scott are worried about." I whispered to the back of Stiles' head. "And maybe I can help?"

"Sorry not really accepting any applications at the moment." Stiles snapped, still not turning around.

"Look you involved me in this whether you like it or not." I said growing more agitated by the second. "Plus…I think someone wants me to help you guys."

That got Stiles' attention, he turned around jaw slack. "What do you-"

"Hey! I think they found something!" The girl Scott was sitting next to jumped up pointing at the window. To Mr. Harris' dismay everyone in class rushed to the window.

We watched as the paramedics wheeled what looked like to be a dead body. A collective scream filled the classroom when the dead body was actually alive when he jumped up and began screaming. I continued to watch while the man struggled against the paramedics until one was smart enough to sedate the frenzied man.

"Okay, okay settle down class. Please return to your seats so we can continue our class." Mr. Harris says trying to command the attention of his students just at the bell signaling the beginning of lunch.

Danny walked over to handing my bag over to me hooking his arm out for me. I rolled my eyes linking my arm in his. "You're such a goober." I laugh as he leads me to the cafeteria.

"Whatever, you love my gay charm." Danny says abandoning my arm to link his arm with Ben, who had caught up with us. "So Lyd says were eating lunch with McCall and Stilinski."

"We are? Since when?" I asked sufficiently becoming the third wheel to lunch.

"Since Lydia said so. Allison is sitting with them so Lydia's going to cock block."

"Should be interesting." I smile at the thought.

Since Lydia was the one who wanted us to sit and eat lunch with Scott and Stiles we waited to move towards the table until Lydia made the first move to sit down. When she did sit down she sat right next to Scott.

Jason Greenburg sat the head of the table, Danny and I on either side of Stiles. Ben sat across from me as he sat down next to Allison who was resting her head on Scott's shoulder.

"Get up." Jackson orders smacking Greenburg on the back of the head.

"Why don't you ever ask Danny to get up?" Jason whined while gathering his tray so Jackson can sit.

"Because I don't stare at his girlfriend's coin slot." Danny smirks cleaning his apple on his T-shirt.

I reached over and snatched the apple from the Hawaiian boy's hands. "No you only have eyes for my brother's meat stick." Danny's cheeks turned a vivid red, clearly embarrassed.

Jackson rolled his eyes at the both of us before clearing his throat. "Anyways, I heard they're saying the killings are some sort of animal attack?"

"Maybe a cougar?" Danny offered.

"I heard it was a mountain lion." Jackson said.

"A cougar is a mountain lion." Lydia states proudly before wilting under Jackson's stare. "Isn't it?"

"Yes, it is." I say sinking my teeth into the apple "But I don't think it was a mountain lion." Stiles elbowed me in the ribs causing me to swallow a half chew mouthful of granny smith.

"Okay animal expert, why isn't it a mountain lion?" Ben says with a smirk.

"Well mountain lion attacks on humans are rare, they're solitary by nature. If it was a mountain lion, it would be because they were cornered but even then you can easily scare it off."

"Who cares? The guy was probably some homeless tweaker who was going to die anyway."

"Actually I just found out who it is." Stile says holding his phone to the center of the table. "Check it out."

It was a news video clip of the crime scene in the back lot of the school. _"The sheriff's Department won't speculate on details of the incident but confirmed the victim, Garrison Meyers, did survive the attack. Meyers was taken to a local hospital where he remains in critical condition."_

"I-I know this guy!" Scott exclaimed.

"You do?" Allison asked in shock.

"Yeah, when I used to take the bus, back when I lived with my dad, he was the driver."

I watched as Stiles slumped back into his chair at a loss for words to comfort his friend. But something told me it wasn't an animal at all the attacked Scott's bus driver, but Scott himself. "Can we talk about something slightly more fun?" Lydia asked pushing the peas around on her plate.

"Speaking of fun, are you excited?" Ben questions mid-chew of his cafeteria sandwich.

I couldn't help the legitimate smile that grew on my face causing the rarely seen dimples on my cheeks make an appearance. "Yes, but I don't want to jinx it yet."

"Jinx what?" Allison questioned, voicing the curiosity that began to etch almost everyone's features.

"Softball tryouts are coming up pretty soon…So," I shrugged trying to at casual.

The table graciously allowed me to ramble on about softball mostly because most of our lunches consisted of none stop talk of lacrosse.

"Oh did you hear about the break ins at school?" Jackson interrupted my growing tangent in the bud.

"Oh yeah, I heard about it on my police scanner." Stiles nods with a shrug. "My dad is looking into it."

At this there was a hard kick to my shin under the table. I looked around trying to spot the guilty fucker who kicked me. Ben caught my eye and cocked his head motioning for me to follow him and I did. Once we were a considerable distance away from our table Ben began whisper shouting at me "Where are you staying?"

"I've been staying in the boiler room. Why what's wrong? Did Danny's parents catch you staying in the basement?" I asked genuinely concerned for my brothers living arrangements.

"Cam the school knows about you." I tensed slightly. I was careful, I was always careful. "They know you're taking food from vending machines and the kitchen. I just need you to be careful okay? I think they might do a search so pack up your stuff and put in your locker."

I nodded in an affirmation, "Yeah sure, totally." I was about to walk back to the table when Ben's hand circled my forearm stopping me. "Ben?" I turned to see the earnest look in his eyes.

"Just promise me you'll stay out of trouble okay? You remember why we're here, it was either here or you got shipped off to juvie. And I just can't let that happen, not when you're actually allowing yourself to find reasons to stay."

"Benj, I'm going to be fin-"

"Just do it for me okay?" My non blood brother pleaded. And that was that.

I excused myself as Ben and I walked back to our table. As I gathered my belongings I dodged the looks I was receiving from Scott. Well shit, I guess it's true that children of the night have enhanced hearing.

Down in the boiler room I gathered all of my belongings which consisted of my sleeping bag and my dirty clothes strewn across the floor. I'd even gathered the clothes Lydia had given me; I should have left them even though I didn't want to admit to myself that I actually _did_ need the new clothes.

As I walked up the steps the bell that signaled lunch to be over rang, making it a lot easier to slip back to the main floor. I dashed to my locker down the hall. Strategically I dialed the combination on my lock all the while balancing my belongings in one arm.

As I began throwing in my clothes in my locker Stiles leaned against the locker set looking very pissed off. It would be an understatement to say I was surprised the lanky boy was willing to get anywhere near me while next to a locker, seeing as we didn't have a very good history with them.

"What did I miss at lunch?" I question still rearranging my locker.

"Scott's date turned into a double," I respond with a grimace. "But get this: they'll just be _hanging out_ at the bowling alley."

That pulled my attention away from my locker without a doubt. "_What?_ You just don't _hang out_ with someone you're into!" I shrieked meanwhile been shot confused looked from my peers in the hallway.

"My point exactly, it's like death. Scott might as well announce himself as Allison's gay best friend." The sheriff's son exclaimed flailing slightly.

"Oh speaking of gay best friends, do you think Danny would find me attractive?" Stiles asked (honest to God) seriously.

"Are, are you coming out to me?" I question jokingly dodging Stiles shove.

"No I am not. I'm just curious if I'm found attractive to gay guys." I didn't know if I should be worried about Stiles' mental health at the moment.

I shut my locker before answering just to agitate the already agitated brunette. I sized up his clothes which consisted of jeans and an I-think-this-is-clean T-shirt. "Not dressed like that." I patted his shoulder before walking away.

* * *

**Ok so I wasn't going to post today but I made my Cousin read my story over they weekend and he asked for an update. So thank my Cousin! Sorry Camerk was slightly lacking in this chapter but I do have plans for these to the future. And if you guys are curious as to how I titled this story I used the song Youth by Daughter for inspiration, so check that out if your interested. **

**If you guys have noticed the little hints I've put in let me know so I can make it more noticeable because Cammy is something supernatural. So let me know what your theories/ questions are and I will do my best to answer them. Or just ask questions on anything you want in the story. And I know Issac isn't in season 1 at all but I thinking of a friendship between Cam and Issac, its all about Cissac as a brotp.**

**I don't know what you want from this story if you don't review so PLEASE let me know what you think. **


	5. Chapter 5

In fear of being caught squatting in the boiler room by high school security, I was unfortunately staying at the Bennett residence. To keep myself from losing my sanity I mentally promised myself if things here got too bad I'd stay at school, but only as a last resort. John was not so graciously passed out on the couch and Mary-Anne had run an early bath in hopes to pretend her marriage wasn't failing.

I was in the front room of the house finally writing my _Metamorphosis_ paper for English when a knock at the door interrupted me. Not caring about my ratty pajama appearance I got up and flung the front door open. I wasn't sure who was surprised more, me finding Scott McCall behind the door or Scott as he noticed the little cartoon strawberries on my pajama shorts.

"Can I help you?" I asked glancing at the clock that read 8:30 pm.

"Were you serious about wanting to help me?" Scott asked.

"Yeah?" I ask, uncertainty filling my tone. "I thought you didn't trust me?"

"I did something and I need to find out what and I need all the help I can get. And you seem to know a lot about animal behavior." Scott shrugged looking back at the baby blue jeep idling on the curb. "It's Stiles that could use some convincing, but we're going back to the bus, so I can figure out what happened."

"Yeah, sure I'll go get dressed I'll be right out." I say, turning away to shut the door when Scott's hand encircled my arm stopping me in my place.

"You don't have to do this you know, right? This is my problem to deal with and helping me, it could get you hurt." Scott said his voice almost pleading, pleading for my help and pleading for me to walk away from this.

"I'll be right out." I say carefully extracting my arm from his relaxed grip. Scott sighed and walked back to Stiles' jeep.

I quickly sprinted up to my room, stripping off my pink pajama shorts and shrugged on a pair of Lydia's hand-me-down blue jeans. Ben had been bouncing around staying with different members of the lacrosse team in favor of staying here. However he'd said he'd crash here for the night so I wouldn't be alone, so in case he came home before I returned I quickly wrote a note for him in my messy chicken scratch writing.

When I made it outside Scott was leaning against the passenger door of the Jeep so I could crawl into the back seat. Once both of us were safely inside Stiles' jeep quickly peeled of the curb.

"Is the a CJ-7?" I ask Stiles as I scratch the peeling leather on the seat.

"What's the plan, Scott?" Stiles asks purposely ignoring me. Through the rearview mirror I saw Scott roll his eyes as he sighed.

"Derek said I need to back and let my senses take over, let my senses remember for me."

"So basically let instinct take over?" I ask popping head over the center console to feel more a part of the conversation.

Scott angles his body toward me so I don't have to bend my neck at an uncomfortable angle. I could tell he was frustrated by the way he raked his hand through his hair, he looked completely lost. "I guess so. I'm still figuring this out as I go along."

"What happened?" I asked curiously but from Scott's expression I could tell it was a loaded question. Scott had me sworn to secrecy that whatever was said in the cab of the Jeep could never be repeated. So basically he didn't want me to let Allison know. Scott told me about the dream he had with Allison and the bus, how real it felt, even as he tore her to pieces as he killed her. I shuddered at the vivid image Scott had painted for me. I could only imagine the guilt Scott must be feeling to know he was responsible for someone's fatal injuries, and with that I was empathetic.

Stiles pulled into the back lot of the school, which had been fenced off because of the ongoing investigation. Both Scott and Stiles were about to jump out of the Jeep when Scott pulled Stiles back into the car. "Stay here, somebody needs to stay and keep watch!"

"Why can't she stay behind and keep watch because it's starting to feel like you're Batman and I'm Robin." Stiles exclaimed as he pointed an accusatory finger at me, as if I needed to earn my rank.

"You trust me with your Jeep?" I asked surprise, which diminished when Stiles grumbled allowing his werewolf friend to venture off on his own. Thick silence enveloped the car after Scott departed to literally sniff out a memory. "You know if I'm going to help Scott, you need to trust me."

"Like I said before, you really haven't given me a reason to." Stiles muttered watching as Scott climbed into the bus. I knew I couldn't just ask Stiles to trust me. It was obvious Stiles only really trusted Scott, who I was guessing was his lifelong friend, they might have even been in diapers together. But me coming with them tonight had to mean something right? I mean it had to at least show I could eventually be trusted. "Besides, how do I know you're not the one who is doing all of this? My dad put you in the cruiser that night he was bitten, which could have been you who bit him. And you just so happen to know a lot about animal behavior? Scott's eyes turn yellow, just like yours! For all I know it could show your power off to others."

My jaw went slack and my eyes widened as I stared at Stiles through the rearview mirror. Not only did Stiles not trust me but he believed whole heartedly that I was the cause of his friend's misfortune. Although I knew it wasn't true, Stiles made a point. Things did look suspicious for me but I don't think that was entirely my fault. My eyes did seem to alarm the people who knew them best, werewolves who thought I was being reckless or the hunters who wanted nothing more than to kill an easy target. Why were my eyes amber?

Not knowing how to respond I looked out the window watching as Scott slowly walked down the aisle, every once and while he would thrash around him the memory of the other night swallowed him whole. My brows knitted with confusion as I noticed a very familiar red Tahoe parked by the fence in front of us. "Stiles, does that Tahoe look familiar?" I asked leaning over the console so he could see where I was pointing at.

I watched as his brows knitted with confusion as he pursed his lips trying to recall where he too had seen said car. "Vaguely, why?" he asked turning to look at me for the first time all night.

My brows skyrocketed when I realized where I'd seen the car before. "I think its Allison's dad's car." Stiles' mouth opened and closed trying to process this news. A shaky light tore my attention away from Stiles to see we had an incoming visitor. "Shit." I muttered reaching over Stiles and pushing my fist down hard on the steering wheel's horn to alert Scott to hurry up. Stiles quickly snapped into motion as he shoved the keys back into the ignition, trying to ready the getaway car.

Scott came running like a bat out of hell toward the Jeep. He jumped on the Tahoe to help him _flip_ over the fence he previously climbed rather awkwardly. Scott flung the passenger door open and pounced inside. Stiles was speeding down the road before Scott even had a chance to close the door. "Did it work? Did you remember?" Stiles gasped, finally slowing down as we reached the main road.

"Yeah, I was there last night. And the blood-a lot of it was mine." Scott explained as he frequently looked out the back window to see if we were being followed.

"So does that mean you did attack the driver?" I ask slightly afraid to know the answer. After knowing my parents were killed in an animal attack I couldn't blame myself for being a tad bit skittish.

"No. I saw red glowing eyes in the back of the bus, but they weren't mine. It was Derek." My brows furled together in thought, Derek had somewhat explained the eye coloring to me but I couldn't remember what he said his were. I could only remember he said they were different from others.

"Then what about the driver?" Stiles pressed for more answers.

"I think I was actually trying to protect him."

"Wait why would Derek help you remember that he attacked the driver?" Stiles questioned growing more irate by the second.

"That's what I don't get!" Scott groaned as he leaned his head against the window. "Do you have any idea? Like is this normal behavior for wolves?

"Well…if you were just bitten that means you're a new member of an alpha's pack right?" I say looking at both boys for confirmation, when they looked at me to continue I licked my lips. "So, it's like a pack thing, uhh… a pack is a solid unit, it works together. So in a hunt, the hunters of the pack work together while being watched by their alpha. If ranks are low, I guess the alpha would hunt with his beta."

"Wait, alphas don't hunt with their packs?" Scott asked.

I shook my head no, "The hunters of the pack are expendable, easily killed while trying to make the kill, so the alpha and it's mate wouldn't partake in the hunting for food. But I guess since there's only of two you would hunt together or a rite of passage into the pack."

"So like an initiation? Do the kill together?" Stiles asked looking at me through his rear view mirror.

"Because ripping someone's throat out is a real bonding experience?" Scott said with his lips curled in distaste.

"But you didn't do it!" I exclaimed from my seat in the back. "Which means you're not a killer!"

"Hey that also means you-" Stiles says before being interrupted.

"I can go out with Allison." I rolled my eyes with agitation. Of course that would make him crack a smile but not being a killer.

"I was gonna say it means you're not going to kill me." Stiles says bitterly.

"Oh, yeah. That too."

"So, how do you know so much about wolf behavior?" Stiles asks suspiciously as he looked back at me.

I shifted my eyes downcast to look at my lap, biting my lip before responding. "My parents used to own a wolf preserve back when we lived in Washington." Before they were attacked and before I was a ward of the state. "Oh my god." I whispered realizing why it was me who found things planted in my locker.

"What? What is it?" Scott asked with palpable worry.

"Stiles remember in chemistry I said I thought someone wanted me to help you guys?"

"Yeah? So?"

"I've been finding things in my locker, things like wolfsbane and a pack mentality book. What if the alpha knew I'd have a background with wolves?" I asked

"Why would Derek hang that over you and taunt you? He seems like a to-the-point type of person. I don't think he'd take the time to plant things in your locker." Stiles retorted gripping his steering wheel tighter.

"No not Derek, someone else. I showed the book to him when I went to go talk to him, he had no idea why someone would put that or the wolfsbane in my locker." I say shaking my head fervently.

"You talked to Derek?" Scott exclaimed.

"Well you kind of dropped a bomb on me and I needed answers so I went to the station and talked to him." I say with a shrug.

Stiles gaped at me through the rear view mirror, "You went to the station, where my father works, and decided it was a good idea to talk to a postal werewolf?"

"You talk to Scott." I pointed out making Stiles' eye squint with annoyance.

"You don't have to help me, you know that right?" Scott intervened.

"Yeah, I know but I want to."

"Then if you ever just want to take a step away from this, just say the word."

With that the three of us exchanged numbers so I could call them in an emergency, although Stiles was hesitant to give me his number. But for the remainder of the drive it was silent. The three of us lost in our own thoughts for the remainder of the drive. I hastily climbed out of the car and headed for the front door of my house.

When I walked inside John was now awake watching TV with a beer resting on his disgusting beer belly. "We thought you was dead." John slurred his greeting.

I hung the strap of my long messenger bag on the coat hook whilst kicking off my worn pair of combat boots. "Nope, you're still stuck with me." I mutter

"M-maybe not for long." The drunken slob hiccupped

I tensed, "What do you mean, John."

"I mean you and that _boy_ are gettin' to be too much trouble than ya worth." He snapped scratching his hairy beer belly.

"First of all, we hardly ever spend time here; in fact the only time we are here is when our social workers pop in for a visit. Secondly, us just staying here is making you income; the government sends you a check in the mail. So no, you wouldn't ship us off because us being here puts money in _your_ for _your _needs not _mine_ and certainly not_ that boys'_ needs."

"Still don't mean we can't ship one of ya of ta live somewhere else." I balled my fists knowing he meant Ben. The Bennett's were selfish and used us for money but they hated the fact Ben was gay. It angered me to know end when they couldn't even address him by his name but _that boy. _Not wanting to deal with John's stupidity I marched off into the kitchen.

I sat on a stool watching Mary-Anne make a sandwich warily. My unease diminished noticing the red welt on her cheek; Mary-Anne was always kinder to us when she was the one behind John's drunken anger. I'm guessing her bath didn't go over very well.

She slid the sandwich over to me smiling sadly, "He wasn't always like this you know."

"Just my luck." I sneered biting into the sandwich, which was my first meal of the day.

"Ever since he got laid off he…" her voice broke slightly, fighting the tears that threatened to spill. It wasn't hard to see John and Mary-Anne were in a failing marriage, add in substance abuse and domestic violence it had to put a bigger strain on them but mostly Marry-Anne.

My mouth quirked slightly, "You deserve better than this." I motioned towards Mary-Anne's cheek. "How did you explain that at the grocery store today?" I asked rhetorically.

The teary-eyes housewife took the crumb filled plate from me whispering "Get some sleep."

I didn't move from the stool as I watched Mary-Anne wash my plate my eyes kept darting to the welt. "Can you at least give Ben a chance? I mean he can't change who he is but he's still a good person."

"Man shall not lie with man, it's an abomination." Mary-Anne whispered not looking up from the sink so soapy water. I let my jaw clench and unclench in anger. I was glad Ben had Danny, not only for support but he had somewhere to go when things got to bad here, and Danny was Danny, so he understood.

"So is your husband, but you're still sleeping with him." I spat before running up to my room.

I through on my pink pajama shorts once more before catapulting myself on the mattress. I slipped my hand under my frumpy pillow and pulled out a pill bottle. It was over the counter sleep medicine. The nights I did sleep I took something to cut myself off from any dream or nightmare that might surface in my sleep. I popped two pills into my mouth, swallowing them dry before resting my head back waiting for sleep to take me.

* * *

The following school day followed with surprising ease for a Friday. The only difference with today was as promised I spent lunch with Isaac Lahey instead of my normal group. Afterwards I had been chewed out by Lydia but it had been worth it to see Isaac happy to have someone to spend lunch with for once. He'd even asked if we could eat together again sometime, of course I said yes.

After the final bell rang I made my way to find Lydia already waiting for me at my locker picking at her already chipping nail polish. "There you are!" Lydia huffed impatiently as she pushed herself off the lockers.

"I just got out of class?" I say with confusion set on my brow. I opened my locker, finding nothing out of the ordinary, I through all of my useless books I wouldn't need this weekend for homework. "I thought you had a free sixth?"

"I do." Lydia said with an annoyed roll of her green eyes.

"Then why are you still here?" I asked pulling out my World History book for chapter notes. I leafed around my locker waiting for Lydia to get to the point.

"Because we're going shopping." I opened my mouth to say something but immediately shut it once more. When had this happened?

"We are?" I ask shutting my locker door. Lydia strode off with typical Lydia Martin confidence and poise. I sighed and followed the redhead.

"Of course we are." Lydia called over her shoulder as she led the way to her Volkswagen Beetle. I climbed into the passenger side still waiting for Lydia to explain her abrupt behavior. I still hadn't gotten an explanation as we drove out of Beacon Hills to get to the nearest mall to go shopping. For most of the drive Lydia seemed to have receded into herself occasionally gripping the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white.

"So what are we shopping for?" I ask trying to coax Lydia of her own mind.

"A little bit of retail therapy never hurts now does it?" Lydia says with a transformative smile, one second her mind is at war with itself the next she's smiling like no other. But nonetheless my brows rose in surprise.

"I…I don't have that kind of money to spend Lydia." I stammered, I was flattered Lydia thought I would be good company to shop with but she would be sorely mistaken when she realized I couldn't even afford a soda at the food court on my own.

Lydia shot me a wide, devious smile. "Don't worry about it," Lydia pulled out a MasterCard for me to see. "It's on my dad." With that she slipped out of the Beetle strutting ahead of me as I grappled out of the car to follow her towards the Macy's entrance.

For the next hour and a half Lydia pranced around the department store trying on whatever caught the redhead's eye, while I timidly looked at clothes. I wandered aimlessly around the racks, I nearly went into cardiac arrest upon looking at the price tag of a pair of plain blue denim jeans and I didn't feel comfortable using Lydia for her money to get any new clothes. I was perfectly content with my Salvation Army secondhands and Lydia's out of seasons. Lydia had strayed far enough away for me to feel out of place in the department store. I was about to scurry back to Lydia's side when a strong grip reaches around my arm and yanks me backwards. Before I could let out a piercing scream a rough hand clamps down over my mouth. Panic bubbles in my chest as the worst of my imagination begins to take hold of my mind.

Would the Alpha be so brash as to attack my in public? In a Macy's no less? However, my panic quickly fizzles away as I come face to face with Derek, _in the dressing room. _Derek holds a finger over him mouth in a silent attempt to get me to be quite. I dart my tongue out of my mouth and lick Derek's palm. Derek quickly snapped his hand away from my face to wipe it on the back of his pants.

"What the hell?" Derek grumbles in tangible disgust as he regards his hand as an infectious disease.

"Dude, _don't touch me._" I snap crossing my arms over my chest. Was anyone going to learn that grabbing me in any sort of way didn't pan out well? "What the hell Derek? Do you have a reason for harassing me?"

"You're hard to get alone." Derek says with a puff of annoyance. I scoff incredulously, so his intent was harassing me. Werewolves are bags of dicks.

"And that makes this okay?" I whisper shout as I motion my arms around me, referring to the dressing room stall.

Derek rolls his eyes in annoyance. "Is it true?"

"Is it true that I'm annoyed shitless? Because that's definitely true." I growl turning around the push the curtain of the dressing room back. Derek quickly pulls me back.

"I don't have time for this. Is it true?" Derek uses his height difference as a form of intimidation, it didn't work. I yank my arm from his grip and cross them over my chest.

"But you have time to follow me to Macy's and wait until my friend was far enough away? Your logic if astounding, Slick." Derek's one track mind didn't do well with planning with detail, but he was here for a reason. "Look, I don't even know what your talking about."

"Is it true that-"

"Cam, is that you in there?" Lydia's voice questions through the thin cloth that posed as a barrier. My muscles coil in fear, and from the looks of it, Derek tensed as well. Derek waved his hand around coaxing me to say something, anything to make her go away.

"Uh, yeah...it's me."

"Great! I found some things for you to try on. Don't think I didn't notice you." Even through the curtain I can hear the playful scowl on her face but in my predicament, she might have known someone else was in here with me.

"W-what do you mean?" I was floundering; I didn't know how to handle these kinds of situations, hell I've never been in this kind of situation.

"You didn't pick up any clothes! How can you shop without trying anything on?" With that Lydia shoved a stack of clothes my way. I threw them in Derek's arms as if they were on fire. We childishly threw the pile of clothes back and fourth to each other. In the shuffle a lace bra managed to wiggle its way out of the pile and landed on Derek's arm. We both dropped the pile with the hangers making an audible clank on the floor.

"Something wrong?" Lydia questions as her hand is about to pull back the curtain. I lunged forward to stop her. "Cameron you okay?"

"Uh, yeah I'm naked is all," I lie as poke my head out of the curtain whilst angling my body so only my head was visible.

"It's not like you have anything I haven't seen before." Lydia rolls her eyes. She steps forward to come inside the dressing room to see what the problem was. Lydia had no qualms of doing it either. Even if it meant I was naked.

"Um, It's just that this," I reach my arm back hoping Derek would hand me an article of clothing. Without even thing I hand over the article of clothing without looking to see what it was Derek had handed me. "Didn't fit. I need another size." I could faintly here Derek chuckle behind me. With wary suspicion I look down to see the lacey bra in my hand.

Werewolves are such dick bags.

Lydia's brows shoot up in surprise. "Oh, I grabbed that for me, but if you want to try one on in your size I can go grab one?" Figures.

I knew this would be the only chance to get Derek out here without having to awkwardly explain to Lydia what was going on. "Yeah that'd be great."

"Smaller or bigger?" Lydia asks. I quickly glance down at the tag, 34B. I inwardly grumble.

"Bigger. Grab a 36C." With that Lydia snatches the bra away and prances off toward the bra racks. I watch to make sure Lydia is a good distance away from the dressing rooms. Before Derek can process what's happen I have him pinned against the wall.

"I'm going to fucking kill you! That's what you decide to hand me? A bra? You are so fucking mature." I growl. Derek easily shrugs me off with a smirk.

"I was improvising."

"I'll improvise your ass." I shove his chest, agitated he didn't even budge. Derek raised his eyebrows suggestively causing me to realize my threat could have been taken either way. "Ugh, you know what? Just go."

"We're not done here."

"Yes we are." I grab a handful of his leather jacket and shoved him forward. "Seriously leave!" I pout childishly as he turns back around catching my wrist in his large hand. He pulled out a pen from his pocket and scrawled down his phone number.

"Call me when you're done playing dress up." I shivered slightly as his calloused thumb brushed against my inner wrist. His hands were so _warm._ Before I can answer Derek already slipped out of the dressing room leaving me with the monstrous pile of designer clothes.

Article after article of clothing Lydia just kept going. She threw clothes at me left and right. It got the the point I wondered if she was punishing me for something. Lydia laughed and offered to switch places, she would try on clothes and I'd wait patiently.

It wasn't until I was content until I came across a pair of combat boots. They were girlier than the Salvation Army faux docs I had worn to death.

My lusting over the dress quickly died when I saw the $270 price tag, I really needed a job. Lydia must have known this from the beginning because she quickly snatched the boots from me before I could shove it onto the shelf.

"Now we just need to get Allison something." Lydia began to prattle on how she managed to get one of the office aids to let her look up mine and Allison's file to get out birth dates, thankfully Lydia didn't notice I bristled at the comment in her babbling. Was it _that_ easy to snoop through someone's personal file? What if my birthday isn't all Lydia stumbled upon in her search through my file?

"You don't need to buy the boots, I feel bad enough as it is with the clothes you're buying me. Those shoes way too expensive."

"I know, but I don't mind." Lydia said flipping through more clothes racks looking for something for her birthday that was slowly approaching. "And my parents definitely won't mind, if they even notice." She mumbled hoping I wouldn't hear, even though I did. "How about this?" Lydia cleared her throat holding up a leather jacket and a frilly scarf. I nodded knowing Allison would absolutely love it. Lydia dragged me over to where the makeup counters were so she could pick up a few things she was running low on. I plopped down on a leather couch waiting for Lydia to get her makeup from the Urban Decay counter when Lydia's purse vibrated.

Lydia had made me read all of her text messages to her while she tried clothes on, so not thinking anything of it I unlocked the phone to read the latest text message. It was most likely Allison wondering where we were since we were supposed to help her pick out clothes for her date. So you can imagine my surprise when it was from Lydia's father. Did he already find out Lydia used his card for a shopping spree and was thoroughly outraged?

_Dad: This isn't going to go away Lydia, you need to choose soon._

* * *

**So like half of this chapter wasn't even supposed to freaking happen but whoopsies my hands slipped...ALL OVER THE KEYBOARD. I mainly had it happen because Derek and Cameron are _a lot _alike so I thought it would be fun to see how there similar personalities would clash when they bicker and asdfjkl; I had way to much fun with this! Let me know if you like how I did the last half of the chapter so I can do more of it in the future.**

**THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAD FAVORITED/FOLLOWED/REVIEWED. I LALALALALOVE YOU.**

** Question Time!**

**Q: Why did Ben move, does he move with Cam?**

**A:** Do you mean why don't they both stay at the Bennett? Well I haven't touched much on Ben quite yet but I'm not sure how much detail I'll put into him right now so here's Benji for ya. Ben's mom was an abusive drunk and would constantly beat him senseless, for no reason at all. That's part of why he hates John so much, the other part is because of Ben's sexuality. Because Ben hate substance abuse he pulled Cam out of the gutter and MADE her sober up. I've even mentioned Cam's substance abuse and that's she didn't go to the party, she didn't want to let Ben down. Cameron and Ben would do anything for each other but he's selfish too, Ben grew up with a semi normal life (He was put into the system at 12) so Ben really wants to be accepted like he once was so he stays with Danny because he is out and open that he's gay. Ben needs Danny, but in a different way then how he needs Cam. I hope that helps? Ben's FC is Max Irons if your curious!

**Q: Do you plan on making Cameron a werewolf?**

**A:** I don't want to commit to an answer just yet because I'm already plotting some part for season 3A. And if it does happen it won't be Cam's choice. She'll have to say yes. But I'm not sure yet, so don't get comfortable with the possibility. Also when everybody finds out what Cameron is they won't know how the bite will take and Derek (Awe) doesn't want to risk it because he _knows _that the bite doesn't always take.

**Q: What is up with Cameron's parents/ how did they die?**

**A:** Cameron's parents died when she was six years old. I've hinted at it but now you know it was an animal attack! Cam doesn't really care how they died she blames herself for it.

**Q: When will we find out what Cammy is?**

**A:** I don't even know for this one. Just keep in mind this story is going until season 3. What Cam is kind of get pushed to the side because there's always more important, pressing issues to deal with buuuuut things'll happen that will remind everyone Cameron isn't exactly human. And Cameron doesn't even know that she's something so we need Cameron to start asking the right questions.

**Ask more questions. I like aaaalll the questions. Again let me know what you think and drop a review!**


	6. Chapter 6

"Is it from Allison?" Lydia asked startling me from the now dark cell phone screen. The text message from her father was ambiguous and ominous. I couldn't shake the feeling this impromptu shopping spree and the text were related.

"No," I hand the phone over to the questioning redhead. "It's your dad." I watched as her face became a whirlwind of emotions as she read the text message. Slowly Lydia's composure was breaking, and I felt immensely uncomfortable at the sight of it. But as if a flip had switched her smile returned as she held up her shopping bags.

"I think we're good to go now." I nodded silently as I followed her to the exit, listening to her babble on how her double date would go. Honestly, I didn't think it would go over too well. Both Jackson and Scott could barely tolerate each other at lunch. How are they possibly going to fair on a double date? Lydia continued on as if moments ago she wasn't on the verge of tears and it bothered me. What could possibly be wrong in Lydia's life? I continued to let the text eat at me until we were settled into the Beetle.

"Why did you really ask me to come shopping with you?" I blurted out, interrupting Lydia's musings over the upcoming winter formal. Lydia stared at me with shocked, wide eyes before letting her shoulders sag in submission.

Her hands drummed on the steering wheel, no longer meeting my gaze. "If you had to choose which parent you had to live with, who would you choose?" I winced at the question. Both. I want both of my parents.

The text message made sense now, though. Lydia's parents were probably splitting up, but instead of fighting for their daughter, they were giving her the choice to choose. I didn't envy Lydia's decision. It was a hard on for any teenager. It still didn't explain why me, why not Allison? Allison was better at this then I was anyhow, I was better with the tough love. I didn't do feelings.

"Why didn't you ask Allison?" I ask growing defensive. Lydia blinked wildly as she tried to find a response.

Lydia licked her lips nervously, "Your…birthday isn't all I stumbled across." She bowed her head guiltily with her confession. My entire body went stiff and ridged. She knew. Someone who wasn't Ben knew. I could feel a panic attack beginning to bud as my chest started to ache. "I'm sorry, I should have told you. I'm sorry." Lydia mumbled.

"H-how long have you known?" I gasp clamping my eyes shut. My lungs were on fire and I couldn't breathe. With violently shaking hands I dug my nails into my thigh, hoping Lydia wouldn't notice my silent freak out.

"When I gave you the clothes." Lydia mumbled quietly. Three weeks, she's known for _three weeks_. Black spots began to cloud my vision as I dug my nails deeper into my thigh. Thank god the windows were rolled down but it wasn't enough. I discreetly shoved my head out the window, letting the cool air whip harshly at my face.

The tension subsided when air began to fill my lungs with better ease. I turned my attention back to Lydia who was gripping the steering wheel too tight. "So you felt bad for me?" I spat venomously. Lydia flinched at my angered tone.

"No, it's just I-I mean. I didn't mean to and… I thought I could help or at least try." Lydia admitted quickly glancing away from the road to look at me. I would have remained impassive if it was for my jaw ticking with suppressed anger.

"Why?" I accuse with a shrug. "I'm not your problem Lydia, you don't have to do anything."

"You're my friend." Lydia squeaked. "I don't have many girlfriends and I just, I wanted to help because you are my friend. And I read somewhere the foster system isn't the greatest and I-" Lydia's voice broke slightly. I was surprised Lydia was this upset about my situation, in all honesty I thought she would poke fun and cast me aside. Unfit to be Lydia Martin's friend. "You're okay right? I mean from what I've read it's not good. Are you okay?"

No. No I wasn't. "Yeah, I'm fine Lydia, I'm okay. I promise." I lied giving my friend a piece of mind. Lydia nodded in relief, sniffling back her tears. I inwardly chuckled at Lydia's ability to flip-flop from emotion to emotion. "You owe me though for being a snoop."

Lydia nods adamantly, hoping to get back into good graces. Who knew Beacon Hills' queen bee would scramble to patch up a little spat; I would have laughed if air wasn't such a fleeting thing. "If you ever need anything you always come to me you know, to talk or whatever. You could even spend the night if your foster parents are on your case."

"Yeah. Sure, I'd like that." I was surprised at the honesty in my words. I had never let anyone become aware of my situation, besides Ben. There was Danny but that was Ben putting _his_ trust in Danny to keep quiet about it. And it felt nice, like a weight of my shoulders to know someone from the outside was standing in my corner. I wasn't used to having friends, but it felt nice.

"Cameron, I'm really sorry about your parents, I can't imagine-"

"Lydia, we're not going there."

"Right." Just because I was putting my trust in someone, Lydia of all people, doesn't mean I wanted to talk about repressed memories I so desperately tried to forget.

"What's going on with your parents?" I ask trying to flip the attention back to Lydia. For once, Lydia was unwilling to prattle on in a way that actually set my nerves at ease. That was another thing about Lydia I liked, it was rarely ever quiet. I enjoyed the silence, but I could only take too much before it became unnerving.

Lydia shrugged nonchalantly but from the way she drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, she was anything but relaxed. "We don't have to talk about it, considering…"

So that was it. Lydia didn't want to talk about her problems because she thought I would think she was silly or over dramatic for complaining about her life when mine wasn't any better.

"Lydia I don't have a monopoly on pain, your problems are no worse or any better. They are what they are, problems."

Lydia then unloaded her home life situation to me as we drove to Allison's house. Her parent's had been fighting non-stop for a couple of years now. They've only stayed together for Lydia's sake but now, even Lydia wasn't enough to keep the fighting couple together. This led to consistent fighting on which parent was better fit to raise their impressionable daughter. Her parents were so wrapped up in fighting over Lydia they failed to even notice her. She didn't touch on it but I'm sure that's where the shopping spree came from. Nothing draws attention like $700 worth of clothes purchased with an _emergency _credit card. Lydia became surprisingly hollow when she danced around the topic of which parent she wanted to live with, and I wasn't going to push her.

When Lydia felt she had exhausted the parental subject she turned up the radio in way of saying she was done talking for now. I welcomed the silence as a pop station blasted the latest hits for the rest of the drive. When we parked on Allison's curb I couldn't help feel an unwanted pang of jealousy as I peered up at the lavish house.

Any evidence Lydia and I shared a heart-to-heart vanished when Allison swung the door open, welcoming us into her home. To my luck, we weren't introduced to the brunette's parents. We were however, quickly ushered by a distressed Allison, to her very nice bedroom.

"Your room is really nice Allison." I said looking around the spacious room.

"Except for this god awful paint job." Lydia muttered plopping down on the bed.

"Lydia!" I whisper-shouted elbowing the red head in the ribs

The tall brunette who had been rummaging through her closet for an outfit for tonight turned back smiling, "I know it is horrible isn't it? I've been testing paint samples but I still haven't found one I liked."

I wanted to rip off the victorious look Lydia was shooting in my direction. "Oh and thanks again Cam for coming to help me pick an outfit, you should have asked someone to come bowling too."

"I don't mind really." I shrugged wondering through the brunette's room. I actually didn't mind, I really could use the girl time, even though we would soon part ways for their date. Aimlessly pawing through Allison's unpacked belongings I saw a guitar case. "You play?" I asked holding up the guitar case.

"I tried; I gave up when I couldn't even tune it properly." The brunette shrugged holding up a vomit colored shirt. "How about this for tonight?"

"Pass." Lydia sighs

This patterned continued as Allison offered an outfit and Lydia passed it off as a big fat no. I tried staying out of their clothes banter so I sat on the bed and began to tune the guitar.

"Cam?" Allison asked.

"Hmm?"

"What do you think of this?" Allison held up a black sequin top.

"I like it, but just so you know Scott doesn't really care what you wear." I mumbled turning my attention back to the guitar.

"Yeah, but it's a double date not a casual meeting at school." Lydia smirked.

"I thought you said it was _hanging out?_" I sneered not even bothering to feel guilty when I noticed Allison's grimace.

Trying to change the topic, "Well, it looks like you can start learning to play the guitar again." I strummed it for emphasis.

"You tuned that, by ear?" The brunette asked incredulously.

I shrugged smiling coyly, "I'm full of many hidden talents."

"Oh my god, play something." Lydia smiled.

Thinking back the song Lydia blasted on the car ride here I began to play the tune of Rihanna's song _Stay_, to impress them further I began belting out the lyrics.

"This is _so_ going on Facebook!" Lydia squealed with delight.

"What!"

"Half way through I took a video and I'm putting it on Facebook for everyone to see."

"Delete it Lydia!"

"Um, Dad hello?" Allison said confused by her father's unannounced presence.

Mr. Argent must have realized this whilst slinging his arm into his jacket. "Right, I'm sorry; I completely forgot to knock." He mused motioning towards the door.

Lydia plopped down on the bed once more coy smile and all. "Hey Mr. Argent."

I awkwardly waved a hello the guitar still in hand.

"Dad did you need something?" Allison asked tucking her hair behind her ear slightly annoyed.

Her father's eyes cut to me suspiciously before returning his gaze back to his daughter. "I wanted to tell you you'll be staying in tonight."

"What I'm going out with my friends tonight." The tall brunette motioned towards us for emphasis.

Mr. Argent eyed me again before speaking, "Not while some animal is out there attacking people."

I think it's time I invested in colored contacts. I think a nice brown would work.

But seriously Mr. A, way to be subtle.

"Hey, it's out of my hands; there's a curfew no one is allowed out past 9:30 PM." Mr. Argent tried hushing his daughter heated argument. Without another word Allison's father stalked out of the room. Out of frustration Allison threw the shirt she was holding on the bed. I watched as she ran a hand through her curls.

"Well, looks like somebody's a daddy's girl." Lydia taunted eyeing the spot Mr. Argent had once occupied.

"Sometimes, but not tonight." Lydia and I watched as the brunette stormed around the room collecting her things and jumping out of her bedroom window. We both ran to the window in shock watching as she flipped of the roof.

"What in the hell was that?" I shouted at the brunette.

"Eight years of gymnastics, you guys coming?" Allison smiled up at us. I wonder how Scott would react when (if) finding out his girlfriend was flexible.

"I'll take the stairs."

"Ditto."

Lydia and I ran down the stairs promptly saying goodbye to Mrs. Argent as we made our hasty getaway. We stopped in our tracks seeing Mr. Argent on the driveway. I hastily looked around for Allison finding crouched behind a bush.

"I'll distract her dad, while you and Allison get out of here."

"What about you? I'm your ride remember?"

"There's a gas station a few blocks down, I'll walk there and call for a ride."

"Are you sure?"

"Lydia _go._"

I looked over at Allison who was looking at me questioningly as I walked over to where her father stood. "Mr. Argent, Sir?" I tapped his shoulder lightly.

He turned to me, surprise etching his features. "Cameron, what can I do for you?" Allison's father asked.

"I was wondering if I could speak to you off the record for a moment?" I asked biting my lip. Play innocent. You can do this. I _have done this. _I think trying to amp myself up. But let's get real, you can't amp yourself up when you're about to talk to a trained mercenary.

"Of course." It made me uncomfortable he kept eyeing me like I was an evil creature of the night, even though I wasn't.

"Um, I just wanted to let you know that if I said or did anything to disrespect you or offend you, I just wanted to apologize up front for that." I stood straight with my shoulders rolled back, looking him dead in the eye.

"Cameron, you did nothing to offend me, as a father I tend to be overprotective of my only daughter." The man smiled at me. "Which reminds me, how upset is she couldn't go out with you and your other friend?"

I looked at Allison's window, which the light was still on by the way. "Oh I wasn't going with them, Allison only wanted my advice on an outfit, but to answer your question Sir, I think she'll get over it." I noticed the momentary guilt that washed over the middle-aged man's face.

Did he not let Allison out of the house because of me? Was it because he possibly thought I was a werewolf? If I hadn't of come over would Allison need to sneak out of her room?

"Good, I'm glad she's not too upset then. And Cameron, please call me Chris."

"Yes of course, Sir… I mean Chris. It was nice talking to you but I should be heading home now."

I patted my pockets feeling for my phone to call Derek to pick me up at the nearest gas station but came up empty. Shit. I left it in Lydia's car.

I stalked off to the nearest gas station that was conveniently not that far from Allison's house. A brisk 10 minute walk later I was inside the gas station's convenience store buying water and a pack of gum, which I needed in favor of my self-destructive vices. I bounced from one foot to the other waiting for the payphone to open up so I could call Ben or Danny for a ride. I'd given up on the possibility of calling Derek, in my attempt to keep warm the number had smudged. And overall I wasn't sure if I wanted to call him, I was still thoroughly annoyed with him.

Waiting for the guy in front of me to finish his call I anxiously chewed the spearmint gum. I glanced around trying to pass the time as I waited. I did recognize a red Tahoe. The one Chris Argent drove away in after leaving his house. You couldn't have offered me a ride I thought bitterly towards the Argent. His and two other cars pulled in barricading a familiar black car. A Camaro, it was Derek's.

I made a move towards him but instinct told me to hide back so I crouched down behind the ice machine, far enough away but close enough to hear what was happening. I watched as a slightly panicked Derek and a very insidious looking Chris Argent climbed out of his car. Was Chris going to kill Derek right here, right now in the open? Derek continued to pump gas into his car as he was being surrounded by hunters wanting to kill him. Everyone has their own priorities though, right?

"Nice ride," Argent said patting the hood of the car. "Black cars though, very hard to keep clean."

Oh I'm sorry, were you temporarily blinded by the gloss and gleam of the very well taken care of car? The look on Derek's face seemed to mirror my own thoughts exactly, the car was a babe and we all knew it.

"I would definitely suggest a bit more maintenance," to prove his point, Mr. Argent reached for the window wiper allowing sudsy water to slosh on the windshield. "When you have something this nice, you want to take care of it right?" The hunter turned his focus to cleaning Derek's already clean car. Who knew you could make window wiping threatening.

"Personally, I am very protective of the things I love, that's something I learned from my _family_. You don't have much of that these days, do you?" I couldn't help the gasp that escaped my lips. I didn't know Derek's story but _I _found that fucked up and a total dick move. With Derek's wolf hearing, his hard gaze flicked over to me and turned back to Chris Argent.

Derek's jaw began to clench and unclench in anger; Mr. Argent noticed this, waiting for him to turn so he could attack. "Relax." I whispered hoping Derek could hear me through the anger he was feeling. I watched in relief as his jaw relaxed.

"There you go; you can actually look through your windshield now." Mr. Argent motioned towards Derek's car. "See how it makes everything…so much clearer?" Oh sneaky double meanings.

Just as Mr. Argent was walking away sufficiently pleased with his threats, Derek called out to him. "You forgot to check the oil." I face palmed myself, Derek you're a cutie but you are and _idiot_.

"Check the man's oil." It sounded more like a threat than a request towards one of his lackeys. An older man stepped towards the passenger side of the car and smashed out the window.

"Looks good to me." The lackey replied walking back to his car.

Mr. Argent gave a sadistic smile towards the car and at Derek, "Drive safely."

Waiting for the cars to leave I left my hiding place running up to Derek. "Are you okay? He had no right to do that."

He shot me an angry look, "He had his reasons."

I plucked a piece of glass and flicked it to the ground. "Werewolf or not he still had no right."

Surprised flashed in his eyes and disappeared altogether. "What are you even doing here? Do you know how bad things would have turned out if he saw you here?" The werewolf all but growled.

I pathetically held up my purchase, "I was trying to call for a ride, and that's why I hid. I don't know everything about all this yet, I just know the basics but I know how it would have looked." I smack his arm, "'You forgot to check the oil?' Really? Here I thought the dressing room incident was a one time act of stupidity! And if you really need someone to check your oil, find me instead." I huff turning away from the werewolf with the over-sized ego.

"Wait," Derek called out scratching the back of his neck uncomfortably, "Do you need a ride?"

"Sure." I shrugged off my jacket placing it over the passenger seat, not wanting to sit on glass.

We peeled out of the gas station in comfortable silence, the warm California air washing over us through the busted window.

"So going back to what went down in Macy's, what was urgent?" I ask, letting my curiosity get the better of me.

"Scott said you know the Alpha." He turned his gaze away from the road to glance over to me. "Do you know who it is?"

"I never said I knew who it is, I said the Alpha might know who I am."

"Why?"

"Out of everyone in school why my locker? Why not two locker down from me? Or a completely different hallway? Why mine?" As I watched the crease in Derek's brow deepened it became apparent he hadn't thought of this (major) detail.

"Could it be because of your eyes? Maybe he thinks your a wolf without a pack." Derek answered but not sounding confident in his theory.

"I thought of that too but that would mean he'd have to have seen me somewhere, whether it be in human form or in wolf form. And I'm not even a werewolf." I say whilst running a hand haphazardly through my hair. "Wait, I thought you said I smelt human?"

"You do but-" Derek cuts himself off. Whatever it was he was about to say had angered him. Derek's jaw ticked furiously as his grip tightened around the wheel.

"But?" I ask wondering what it was that made Derek so angry so quickly. He glance over at me with what seemed to be a dejected expression. It was the closest thing I've seen him in any sort of emotional state and it scared me.

"Scott and I...we've masked your scent."

"Which means?" I asked in confusion.

"It means you don't smell human, you smell-"

"Like a werewolf?" Derek nods quickly. "Which makes it more believable to the Alpha that I'm a werewolf too." I say confirming Derek's brooding worries.

"You stay out of this from now on." Derek says in a hard voice. "You're only going to get hurt."

"But your the one who told me to get involved! Derek if I walk away now I'm walking away unprotected. I can't do the things you and Scott can and the Alpha know that! I'll only be making it easier for it to get to me." Who was to say stepping away from this would keep me safe? I wasn't going to get myself killed by a furry asshole because Derek thought he knew what was best.

"Scott will make sure you're safe." Derek says in a (piss poor) way of soothing any worries I might have.

"No." Derek snaps his head to look at me, surprise flooding his rugged features.

"No?"

"I'm apart of this now and I'll be damned if you think your going to dictate what I do. Don't worry about me Slick, I can take care of myself. I always have." I send him a flippant smile.

Derek uses his free hand to run it down his face in annoyance. "This isn't a time for flippancy."

"What do you want Derek? Would you prefer if I break down crying? Beg for my life because it means so much to me? Is that what you want? Because news flash Ricky if I die so what? The line of people that would care is a lot shorter than you might realize." Silence filled the car. My confession must have sent Derek in a state of shock, but if it did it didn't show. The only noise that filled the car was the low humming of the radio. after several beats of tense silence I decide to break the silence.

"Oh and thanks by the way," I turned to Derek who quirked a brow. "For helping Scott, I mean. He remembered he didn't attack the driver, he thinks you did though."

"So why are you thanking me? Scott doesn't trust me, he thinks I did it." Derek's knuckles tightened around the steering wheel momentarily.

"You're right he doesn't trust you," I confirmed "But, doing things like that makes it easier for him to. And I don't know if you did do it or not, I'd like to think not."

"Why?"

"Would you have helped him remember if you did?"

"And you trust me?" Derek asked, almost surprised.

I shrugged noncommittally, "You haven't given me a reason not to, but you also haven't done anything to earn it either. Especially after handing me that bra you dick."

We were silent again for a while. Derek turned up the radio in hopes to eliminate all chances of conversation. A Florence and the Machine song was playing and I hummed along to it, occasionally mumbling the lyrics under my breath.

"You shouldn't" Derek said finally breaking the silence.

I looked over at Derek, who leveled a glare at the road. "What?"

"You shouldn't trust me. Don't forget I'm a predator by nature. I can kill." Derek growled for effect. For a different reason I flinched. Derek noticed, causing his eyes to soften slightly before turning back to the road.

"Just because you're a predatory animal doesn't make you a killer." I say sounding hollow. Feeling bold I leaned forward turned up the radio even louder. I wasn't feeling up for conversation anymore.

Derek confused me to no end. In the short time we'd known each other he constantly blindsided me with mixed signals. He says I should help Scott but says I'm a problem because of the hunters. He walks me home but wants me to get lost. I knew I was a puzzle myself, but mixed signals were assholes. I just hid things I didn't want to talk about. I fiddled with my necklace for the rest of the drive lost in my thoughts.

"You haven't asked yet." He said.

"What?" I ask dropping the chain from my hand.

"The comment Argent made about my family, or lack of it, you haven't asked yet." He glanced over at me.

"I didn't think it was any of my business." I reached for my necklace again. Normally I was calm and collected around people, but around Derek he had me nervous and unsure. His eye zeroed in on the necklace.

"Why is that so important to you?" His chin jutted out towards the necklace.

"I don't think that's any of _your_ business."

I noticed we were parked outside of my house already. I slipped out of the car shook the glass off of my jacket before looking back at Derek before backing away from the car. "Thanks for the ride Slick."

* * *

**Oh my god sorry this is so late D: I actually had a life this weekend. I went to Knott's Scary farm on Friday night with a group of friends and on Saturday I went to a party. So I'm using today as an R&R and writing this chapter was fun.**

**I gave Derek a little insight to Cam's thought process at several points in this chapter. OH and Lydia is in the know about Cam, which I'm glad it's Lydia because even thought Lydia can be a bitch she's a caring bitch. And Lydia can somewhat understand Cameron a little better because they both have family issues.**

**Thank you to those who Favorited/followed/reviewed it does mean a lot! FYI your reviews help decide what I do with these chapters and how soon they get posted. Again I like questions regarding the story so please ask.**

**Oh and while writing this chapter I kinda slipped into Derek's mindset so if your interest in an AU on my tumblr let me know!**


	7. Chapter 7

_I was standing in blood. The warm coppery liquid pools around my feet. You never really grasp how much blood a human body holds until you see it, until you're covered in it. But it's never my blood, I'm not even sure whose it body it once belonged to: Mom or Dad?_

_I try to run but it's as if I'm drowning in water, thrashing and flailing but never moving forward. I'm running but going nowhere, he's reaching to finish the task. Running and reaching. Reaching and running. With slowed movements it never ends, until it finally does._

_Running. Reaching._

_Reaching. Running._

_It only took a moment, a second, and a blink of an eye before it all ended. First comes the fear, then the resignation and then the pain. They always save the best for last, and the pain was never ending. He thrashed and I flailed. Finally, something gives and a muted scream tears through my vocal cords before his hand makes contact with my warm flesh. _

A scream rips my throat raw as I jolt upright in my cot drenched in cold sweat. My heart pounds as I clutch my side as I cringe through the disembodied pain. Stumbling through sleep I walked down the hall to the bathroom to splash cold water on my face. I lift up my pajama shirt to look at the pink scars that started just below my left breast and extended down to my hip. On good days they could be confused as stretch marks but for the most part they were never fading claw marks.

I couldn't be having these nightmares again. Especially now.

A knock on the front door downstairs pulls me away from my thoughts. Padding down the stairs I noticed I was home alone so I was free to open the door. My brows skyrocketed when Scott McCall was standing behind the door in pajamas of his own. I didn't mind living across the street from the boy but showing up at my door at 6:30 in the morning?

"Scott what are you doing here?" I asked in a sleep filled voice covering my braless torso.

The teen werewolf's face flooded with relief, "I heard your heartbeat going crazy and then you screamed, I thought…"

"Should I be worried that you were listening to me sleep?" I asked feeling a little uncomfortable.

"It wasn't intentional; I can even smell Stiles from hear from here." The boy shrugged.

"Wow is his scent that strong?"

"It's more like a stench." Scott said rolling his eyes, "So you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine I just had a nightmare." I dismissed the boy's unnecessary fear. "See you at school?"

"My mom gave me the keys to the car." Scott said scratching the back of his neck. I raised my brows waiting to see where he was going with this. Scott shook his head realizing his mistake. "Oh right, so do you need a ride?"

"Sure." I nod. As much as it annoyed me having to rely on others, I was thankful for being offered rides. "Honk when you're ready to go?"

"Sure." Scott says stepping off the porch turning back to his house across the street.

I shut the door and headed back upstairs to get ready for this already crap of a school day. It had been a long weekend. Derek's comment hit closer to home than I wanted. Our conversation on the car ride home drudge up a lot of painful memories. That day was already fragmented and a blurry haze, the nightmare was the only thing I could remember from the attack. Occasionally the memory wormed its way into my dreams, seeing as I self-medicated and sleep deprived myself hoping I wouldn't think about it.

Seeing as I wasn't being rushed by woken up foster parents I was assuming I was home alone. Thank whoever was listening. I really didn't want to explain why I woke up screaming bloody murder which would only result in calling Jim, my social worker.

Since deciding today was already off to a bad start, I decided to suffer comfortably. Lydia's fashion tips be damned. I was bumming it to school in a slouchy, oversized sweater and nothing special sweats. As I tied my hair up into a wayward bun when a honk told me it was time to go. I grabbed my bag and headed out to meet Scott.

In the car we rode in tense silence. I tried to think of something to start a conversation, I thought to say something about Scott's car but it was a bit of a wreck. The rearview mirror on the driver's side was completely gone. I could have mentioned Danny's dad owned an auto shop so Scott could fix it but I figured that was rude. I also remembered Scott mentioning his dad in past tense, as in out of the picture. Low income means no spare cash to fix a car.

"So how was your weekend?" I ask. I'd spent the weekend in radio silence since Lydia still had my phone hostage.

"The bus driver died." Well now I know Scott is shit at small talk.

"I'm sorry." I mumble unsure how to handle this.

"You were right. It wasn't Derek that's been killing people."

"Then who is it?" I ask, feeling smug I was right all along. See? I do have better judgement.

"Derek said something about an Alpha, that he's the one who bit me." Scott said sounding forlorn.

It made sense. Only Alphas could start a pack so it would only make sense if an Alpha bit others, transforming them to be a part of a pack of werewolves. I kept quite though. There wasn't much left to talk about on the drive to school other than the Alpha…and skirting around the topic of Derek Hale.

"Thanks for the ride Scott." I say moving to step out of the car.

"Wait," Scott's arm shoots out stopping me from leaving. "This Alpha is making you apart of this and I don't know why and neither does Derek. He's targeting you Cameron, you said he was putting things in your locker." Scott licked his lips growing more restless by the second. "So I guess what I'm trying to say is, would you let me know if he's putting more things in your locker?"

"Yeah, if it'll help you." I shrug. If it made him feel better I'd tell him. "I don't even know what he wants with me thought."

"That's something we'll have to figure out."

XX

I was sitting sixth period World History sitting next to Allison, I was tuning out our overly perky teacher Mrs. Van B gush about her historical boyfriend Winston Churchill even though we all knew he was dead. This fact didn't seem to stop said teacher from decorating her classroom with pictures and yes even bobble heads of said prime minister.

"Cameron, hey Cam." Allison whispered tapping my shoulder

"What?" I turned to look at her ignoring the teacher's glare.

"So my aunt Kate just came into town and I want you to meet her." The brunette was nothing but giddy.

"Tonight?"

"No, Scott's coming over tonight; how about tomorrow night, you can even spend the night!" Spending the night at a house full of werewolf hunters? Joy.

"Yeah, sure I'll see if I can." There had to be some possibility some half of her family was normal. Right?

The bell rang signaling the end of the school day and putting our conversation to a hold until we met up with Lydia. Allison retold the information to Lydia about Scott coming over for 'studying.'

"Scott's coming over tonight?" Lydia asked.

The innocent minded brunette responded. "We're just studying together."

"Just studying never ends with _just studying_." Lydia smirked at me and I rolled my eyes.

"Oh please, not while her parents are home." I scolded Lydia. Only Lydia would think of getting freaky with her parents in the house.

"Somebody's eventually going to cop a feel." Lydia looked over at the tall brunette who looked nervous and confused.

"What does she mean?" The doe-eyed girl asked looking to me for answers.

"She means make sure he's covered." The poor looked even more confused. "A condom."

"After one date?" Allison squeals.

"Don't be a total prude; just give him a little taste." Lydia states matter-of-fact.

"How much is a little taste?" Allison asks insecurely crossing her arms over her chest.

"Nothing you're not comfortable doing with knowing your parents are in the house." My reminder went completely ignored.

"You really like him don't you?" Lydia cooed

"I mean, I, he's…hey what about you Cammy? Are you seeing anyone?" The floundering brunette asked trying to remove the attention from herself.

My heart rate instinctively picked up pace, "No one's caught my eye…yet."

Lydia's smirked turned into a sage and all knowing smile. "I'm guessing no one's taken the VIP tour down under?"

"_Lydia so not the point!_" I screeched.

"Oh, don't deflect my little delicate flower." Lydia smirked patting my cheek.

"If you're asking if my 'delicate flower' has all its petals intact, that's for me to know and for you to wonder about."

Lydia and Allison exchanged a look, "Like a virgin." I rolled my eyes at their attempt at singing but felt slightly mortified. My friends were singing Madonna at me in the school hallway. What the hell?

"Screw you guys I'm going to my locker." I called over my shoulder (trying) to leave behind my embarrassment. I ignored their cackles and catcalls as I walked down the hall to my locker.

"Fucking asshole." Jackson mutters brushing past me.

"Excuse you." I snap. My anger melted away when I notice blood on Jackson's hand. "Wait are you okay?"

"I'm fine Cam." He snaps storming down the hall. Fine, don't appreciate my kindness asshat. I continuing my trek to my locker a hand encircled my arm and pulled me into a corner.

"Seriously ass-Derek?" I was surprised to see a very sickly looking Derek. He freed my arm from his grip, when he did this he lost his balance. Instinctively I reached out and grabbed his jacket to steady him. I should have just let him fall, he was dead weight. Steadying him offset my balance causing my back to fall back on the tiled wall. To my embarrassment Derek fell forward with me pinning me against the wall. Derek's arms reached out to steady himself against the wall and efficiently encased me where I stood. I hoped in vain Derek couldn't hear my racing heart. We stayed like that for a moment longer, chest to chest, before Derek pushed off the wall creating a distance between us.

"Where's Scott?" Derek asked through ragged breaths. His normally olive skin was washed out with peaked sweat, deep bruise like bags under his eyes. If this wasn't unsettling enough a steady stream of blood trickled down his hand, creating a small puddle on the floor.

"I-I don't know, why what's wrong?" I knew Scott was going to study with Allison but I wasn't sure of his current location.

Derek tried to steady himself once more. "I need your help." I nodded, grabbing his arm I slung it over my shoulders. I shot a glance to my locker before giving up the thought of doing Chemistry homework and slipped my arm around Derek's waist. "What are you doing?"

"You can barely stand without any support. I'm not sure how you'll manage walking on your own." I tug Derek down the hall, leading him where? I don't yet know. "You asked for my help. You're getting it, so suck it up cupcake."

I lead him to the back doors that lead to the back lot. I was hoping I could convince Danny for a ride but with Ben following close behind it was highly unlikely. "Find…Scott." Derek wheezed. I quickly scanned the parking lot looking for Scott's car but found the next closest thing, Stiles' jeep.

"How about Stiles?" I offer leading the way to the jeep before waiting for an answer.

"Do you have any better options?" Derek argued with a huff.

"Remember whose holding you up right now. I would suggest you be a little less picky." I snap.

"Fine, he's close enough."

This time Derek lead the way to Stiles car as he pulled me along. He walks in front of the car stopping the Jeep from pulling out of the lot. The Jeep's brakes squeal with the sharp break as Derek slips from my grasp falling on the pavement.

"What the hell?" Scott shouts running toward us. "What are you doing here?" We both drop to the ground to help Derek.

"I was shot." Derek rasps in pain as he clutched his arm.

"You were _shot_?" I exclaim whilst smacking his arm. To my surprise Derek winced in pain. If it hurt when I hit him he must really be in pain.

"He's not looking so good." Stiles comments as he stands a few steps away from us. Not wanting to be involved in any way.

"Why aren't you healing?" Scott asks growing jittery.

"I can't…It was, a different kind of bullet." His wheezing had now grown into sporadic panting.

"A silver bullet?" Stiles asked with boyish enthusiasm.

"Wolfsbane." I whisper. Derek caught my eye and nodded ever so slightly.

"So that's what she meant when she said you only had forty-eight hours." Scott exclaimed in realization. We all looked at the teen werewolf in confusion.

"Explain?" I mutter over the agitated honking of cars. We needed to get out of here fast. "Who are you talking about?"

"Wh-Who said forty eight hours?" Derek gasped.

"The woman who shot you." Derek's eyes clamped shut in a bout of pain. When he opened his eyes the electric blue beta eyes made an unwelcome appearance. Scott looked around in horror hoping no one had seen the sudden change in color.

"What are you doing? Stop that!" Scott shouted.

Derek growled. "That's what I'm trying to tell you, I can't."

"We need to move the party, like now." I said pulling myself of the ground. I held out my hand to Derek, who accepted my hand as I heaved him off the ground. Again I slipped my arm around him and lead him to Stiles' Jeep and with as much care as possible, shove him into the passenger seat. I walked around the jeep and jumped into the back seat. Someone needed to babysit and keep an eye on Derek and Stiles.

I just really wanted to help.

I wouldn't put it past Stiles to drag him out into the middle of the road and leave him for dead.

Derek ordered Scott to find the bullet that shot Derek. I felt marginally bad for Scott, he was going over to study but had to sneak around and find a wolfsbane bullet. And because we were in Stiles' car, for the past five minutes he continued to profess his hatred to all of us. I had tuned him out for most of it.

"Would taking out the bullet help at all?" I ask noticing his lackluster appearance worsen in the short time we'd been in the car. He was dying and I needed to do something. I couldn't just sit here and do nothing.

I needed a cigarette.

"Possibly, the wolfsbane is already poisoning my bloodstream." Derek grunted as he shrugged of his leather jacket.

"Hey can you try to not bleed out on the seats?" Stiles said scratching his brow with irritation.

"It'll be an improvement to the already peeling seats." I growl.

"We're almost there anyway." Stiles sighed puffing out his cheeks.

"Almost where?" Derek asked with drooping eyelids.

Stiles sighed again as if the answer was obvious. "Your house."

"What? You can't take me there."

"I can't take you to your own house!?" Stiles exclaimed in frustration.

"Not when he can't protect himself. Who knows? They might come back to finish him off. If he can't take a hit from me, how is he going to fair with a trained killer?"

Thankfully we were on an abandoned road when Stiles slammed on the brakes causing the Jeep to skid to the side of the road. Unfortunately for me I hadn't been wearing a seatbelt. My legs caught on the back of the front seat saving me from flying out windshield; it didn't save the air in my lungs.

"I hate you." I groan pushing myself off the seat.

"Don't worry the feelings mutual." Stiles retorted. Stiles turned attention to the dying werewolf in the passenger seat. "What happens if Scott can't your little magic bullet? Hmm? Are you dying?"

"Not yet. I have a last resort."

"What do you mean you have a last resort?" Derek rolled up the sleeve of his shirt revealing the festering bullet wound. Stiles turned away in disgust.

"Oh my god. What is that? Ugh is that contagious? You know you should just get out." Stiles said with tangible disgust as he regarded the wound.

"Start the car. Now." Derek ordered with labored breathing.

"I don't think you should be barking orders with the way you look okay. In fact, I think if I wanted to, I could drag your little werewolf ass out in to the middle of the road and leave you for dead." Stiles shouted flailing his arms out for emphasis.

At least I was right about Stiles leaving Derek for dead.

Derek set a piercing glare at Stiles. "Start the car, or I'm gonna rip your throat out…with my teeth." I snorted as they stared each other down.

"Are you two done?" I ask thoroughly amused with their threats. I reached into my book bag and pulled out a small pair of tweezers. "Because that bullet needs to come out and if you keep arguing like bitches all were going to end up with is a dead body." They exchanged leery glances before looking back at me. "Well come on boy wonder, let's see that arm."

Derek obeyed and rested his arm on the seat. I pulled my hair back so it wouldn't get in the way. I looked into the bullet hole, I couldn't see anything past the pool of blood. "There's too much blood." I say not looking up from the wound.

"You're afraid of the blood?" Derek asked his voice full of amusement. I couldn't help the laugh that escaped my lips. If he only knew the truth. I reached my hand into my bag again trying to find the alcohol wipes I sometimes kept. Pulling the wipe out of the single use wrapper I pressed it to the wound wiping away at some of the blood.

"Do you even know what you're doing?" Stiles asked daring to look at the progress I was making.

"Don't worry, I've done this before." I say trying to carefully dig around to pick out the bullet casing. "Don't move." I tell Derek steadying his arm.

"I don't find that very reassuring, at all." Stiles mutters, running a hand through his short hair.

With bated breath, I carefully worked the tweezers back into the wound. I felt around trying to feel around the bullet trying to find the best place to latch onto it. I could feel Derek's muscles tense around it as I carefully extracted the small piece of metal from the crease of his arm. "I got it."

"Now how are you going to stop the bleeding?" Stiles asked, voice full of jest. "What else do you have in your Hermione bag?"

I pulled my bag into my lap rummaging through it to find anything to stop the bleeding. "I don't have my lighter, but I have…Lydia's scarf." I say pulling out the floral scarf Lydia had given me in her bag of hand-me-downs. Without waiting for a response I quickly tied the frilly scarf around Derek's arm. Seeing as I was done with my work Derek moved his arm around testing the ability of his arm without the bullet lodged into it. He quickly glanced at me through the rear view mirror and nodded in thanks. Stiles started the car and began driving aimlessly, not knowing what to do with Derek's.

Twenty minutes into the drive Stiles' phone began ringing, we were all hoping it was from Scott. Stiles pulled over to the shoulder to answer Scott's call.

"What am I supposed to do with him?" Stiles asks in way of hello. "And by the way, he's starting to smell." It was true Derek had begun to smell putrid and sour. It was beginning to give me a throbbing headache. "He smells like death." Derek glared at the twitchy boy.

Stiles sighed handing the phone over to Derek. "You're not going to believe where he's telling me to take you." Derek snatched the phone from Stiles and put it to his ear.

"Did you find it?" Derek asks. I'm guessing Scott wasn't too confident on finding the bullet. "Look, if you don't find it I'm dead, alright?" I faintly heard Scott reply "That's not a bad thing."

"Then think about this. The Alpha calls you out against your will. He's gonna do it again. Next time, you either kill with him or get killed. So if you wanna stay alive, then you need me. Find the bullet." Derek went to hang up the phone before I caught his wrist. I plucked the phone out of his hand.

"Scott?" I ask checking to see if he was still on the line.

"What is it Cam?" Scott asks, his voice dripping with tangible worry.

"You said it was a girl who shot him right?" I ask referring to Derek.

"Yeah so?" Scott asks with confusion.

"Sooo, look through Allison's mom's stuff, her Aunt's stuff…Allison's stuff." I say hesitantly tacking on Allison's name to the list of suspect.

"No! Allison wouldn't do that!" Scott exclaims in delusion.

"Her entire family are hunters, she's a part of that Scott. Do I want that for my friend, to be a killer? No I don't but for good measure, do it." I say before hanging up the phone and handing it back to Stiles.

"Where to?" I ask sitting back into my seat.

"The _animal clinic_." Stiles groans begrudgingly starting the car. Derek's chest rumbles with a growl as I erupt in a fit of cackles.

This should be interesting.

* * *

**This chapter makes me all different kinds of happy! Guys word vomiting produces (surprisingly) interesting chapters (in my opinion.) There are multiple things I love about this chapter but I want to know what your favorite parts. Oh and Mrs. Van B is a real person with a very real obsession with Winston Churchill. Mrs. Van B was my World History teacher last year!**

**On to the questions!**

**Q: When will we learn about Cam's necklace?**

**A: **The necklace is actually just her parents wedding bands/ engagement ring on a chain. Sorry if thats not interesting or mysterious enough. But it sure is a mystery to Derek!

**Q: Can you give us hints as to what Cameron is?**

**A: **I could but I can't. If I gave a hint pertaining to what she is the mystery is kind of over. Buuuut if you'd like re-read this story so far and try to pick out the hints I have put it in. Let me know which ones you think were hints and I'll let you know if you're right.

**Q: Will Cameron stay friends with Scott?**

**A:** OMG yes! yes yes yes! As of now Scott know something is weird with Cameron and her home life and he wants to befriend her so he can find out. I have plans for these two.

**Q: What is Stiles' opinion on Cameron?**

**A: **Honestly? He wants her to get lost. If you think about it, it's always been Stiles and Scott. No one else. So adding another person to the mix? That's not going to fly with Stiles. He doesn't want Cameron around in the same aspect he doesn't want Derek around, its about trust and pride. Stiles thinks he's always right so obviously only he can help Scott. Should I make them friends or do you guys like that they bicker?

**Q: What will happen to Cameron since she doesn't like her foster parents?**

**A:** UGH another question I can't really answer! But just know shit is going to go down.

**Q: Will the Alpha go after Cameron?**

**A: **Right now Cameron is a toy to be played with for the Alpha because he does know what Cameron is and that's why he's screwing with her.

**Look at you guys being little Sherlocks with your amazing questions! I have soooo much fun answering them. Thank you to those who reviewed/followed/favorited I LOVE YOU ALL.**

**I expect more questions :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Another update because I got overly excited so here you go!**

* * *

"I can't find the key!" Stiles had spent the past five minutes on hands and knees looking under every inch of the dumpster looking for the key to the animal clinic. While Stiles scavenged for the key I had to hold up Derek, who I was fairly certain was twice the size I was. "I'm positive Scott said it was under the dumpster…"

"Look we don't have time for this! Get over here and hold Derek." I flung Derek's dead weight at Stiles so I was able to move freely. "I don't even know why I didn't think of this in the first place." I say pulling out a pick lock. Honestly I didn't want to need to use it but desperate times call for desperate measures. At least it was a lock on a door and not a strangers car, but it's not like the latter stopped me much. I dropped down to my knees and skillfully picked the lock of clinic, albeit I was a bit out of practice but the process had barely lasted a minute.

Stiles handed Derek back over to me once I swung the door open. "Take him inside. I'm going to try Scott again." I bit back any comment I had for the twitch boy and carried in Derek's almost lifeless body. The tense drive to the clinic had resulted in 5 missed calls from Scott, and right now we needed him more than ever. Hopefully with a bullet in tow.

"Come on Derek, work with me, I can't carry you by myself." Derek was slipping from my grasp as his body went slack. Thankfully when he did fall, he landed on several pellets of cat litter. He rested the back of his head against the wall trying to catch his breath. Even though I was the one doing the heavy lifting it was Derek who was worn out, dying had that effect on people.

"I'm not going to make it." Derek gasped through ragged breaths, "I'm going to die if Scott doesn't…make it" I took in his features as I crouched down next to him, Derek looked a lot worse, his eyes shrouded with dark bruises under his eyes, which stood out horrible against his paper white skin.

"You're going to be fine, Scott's going to be here any minute now." I lied and Derek let me lie to him. If false hope was all we had to go on, you bet your ass I'm hanging on for dear life.

Pun intended.

"Besides, you're not dying if I have any say in it."

Without my help or my doing so Derek slipped his arm around my shoulders so I could attempt to lift him back to his feet. Our arms were getting far too comfortable around each other and I couldn't say that I minded. We made it as far as the examination room before Derek's legs gave out again causing him to stumble forward catching hold to the examination table. A third pair a footsteps entered the room, announcing Stiles entrance. I looked to him expectantly, hoping he'd gotten a hold of Scott. Stiles shook his head gravelly. He hadn't gotten through to him and now we might have to watch Derek die as the poison slowly stopped his heart.

Something in me snapped.

"What's taking him so long?" I growled whilst pulling of the scarf I had used to stop the bleeding. It was now seeping red with blood. My stomach lurched, the bullet wound now looked worse with the bullet out. Derek's arm budged with spidery veins, swollen with blood loss. I poured antiseptic to help clean the wound.

"Stop that." Derek hissed with a sharp intake of breath.

"For a dying man you have no right to bark orders." I snapped cleaning the wound again.

"Scott texted me back!" Stiles exclaimed before going silent once more to read the text. "Does Nordic blue monkshood mean anything to you?" Stiles asked looking at Derek.

I looked at the paling werewolf who sighed in defeat. "It's a rare form of wolfsbane, he has to bring me the bullet."

"Why?" I asked with palpable worry

He met my gaze for a moment before answering, "Because I'm going to die without it."

Stiles and I exchanged worried glances before turning back to Derek. "Do you think you'll make it until Scott can get here?" I asked in a small voice. He shook his head.

I dialed Scott's phone only to have my call go straight to voice mail, "Scott get your ass down to the clinic _now_ or else you won't have to worry about the next full moon because I am going to _kill you if you don't get here._"

I turned to see Derek tying off an elastic band just above this festering wound. "If the infection reaches my heart it'll kill me."

"Positivity just isn't in your vocabulary is it?" Stiles asked sarcasm dripping from his voice.

"If he doesn't get here with the bullet in time…I have a last resort."

"What's your last resort?" I asked as Stiles ran a frustrated hand through his short hair.

Derek slid a medical saw over to the Sheriff's son who grew pale at the sight. "You're going to cut off my arm."

Stiles picked up the saw with shaking hands scarring himself further by flipping the switch allowing the saw to roar to life before setting it back on the table. "Oh my god, what if you bleed to death?"

"If it works it'll heal." Derek mutter through his teeth as he tightens the band.

Stiles started to turn a little green "Look I don't think I can do this."

"Why not?" Derek snapped.

"Because of the cutting through the flesh, the sawing of the bone and especially the _blood!" _Stiles exclaims flailing his arms in panic.

"You faint at the sight of blood?" Derek asked growing irate by the second.

"No but I might at the sight of a chopped off arm!" Stiles cries.

Derek is about to say something before he projectile vomits a black liquid all over the freshly mopped floors.

"Oh my god what the hell is that?"

"Stiles go back outside and call Scott again."

"Why?" The teenage boy questions

"Because we're running out of time and we need him."

Stiles is more than happy to leave to make the phone call. I turn to Derek who is hanging his head whilst laying his arm outstretched on the medical table.

"If we're going to do this we need to do it now, because Stiles really is a lightweight about these kinds of things."

Surprise flickered in his eyes. "You're going to help me?" the surprise turns into suspicion, "Why?"

"I just picked a bullet out of your arm, and now you're going to question my motives to chop of your arm?" I pick up the saw and I clamp my eyes shut about to bring the blade to Derek's arm when Scott entered the clinic saving me from the lifetime of even more nightmares.

"Did you get it?" Derek asked blinking open his eyes. Scott nodded handing over the small bullet over to Derek.

"What are you going to do with it?" I ask. I didn't see how the same poison would help him but I stayed quite.

"I'm gonna…" Derek fell over, almost landing in his own vomit. The bullet rolled down into a drain with a cursing Scott trying to get it out. I stared at Derek's unmoving body, instinctively I took several steps back. No. This couldn't happen again. He'd been alive and somewhat well, now he was possibly dead. And yet again, there was nothing I could have done but watch.

"Derek. Come one Derek wake up." Stiles had been the one trying to revive Derek, smacking him around trying to wake him. "Guys what are we going to do?" Stiles looked over his shoulder to find me just standing there, paralyzed with fear. "Get over here and help me!"

With shaky steps movements I dropped down next to Derek's head. I felt for a pulse it was weak but at least there was some hope. "He's not waking up." Stiles panicked as he shook Derek by his shoulders. "I think he's dying. I think he's dead!"

"Do you know how to do CPR?" I question. Derek had said if the infection reached his heart his heart would stop. If we could restart it then we might just have enough time to heal the wolfsbane poisoned bullet wound.

"Yeah but I'm not going to." Stiles muttered, still shaking Derek's shoulders.

"Why?" If he knew how shouldn't he at least try?

"I am not giving him mouth to mouth." I could understand the reasoning, I didn't like it but I did.

"Fine, walk me through it and show me how." Stiles stopped shaking Derek to shoot me a look of surprise. He nodded and moved next to me.

"Tilt his head back, listen for breathing." I did as I was told. I move my ear closer to Derek's mouth trying to feel or hear his breath. I shook my head to indicate he wasn't breathing. "Okay so, now you're going to have to give him mouth to mouth. Keep his head tilted and pinch his nose. Only do two breaths."

I pinched his nose and leaned into him pressing my mouth to his, this would be so much nicer if he were breathing. I blow two breaths into his mouth watching the rise and fall of his chest. "Check his pulse." Stiles advised. This time when I checked for a pulse there wasn't one.

"He has no pulse."

"You're going to do a chest compress okay? Put your hands like this, and put them over his breastbone. Count to thirty and try the ventilation again." Stiles showed me how to lock my hands together and I placed my conjoined hands on his chest. As I repeatedly pounded his chest with my hands I counted to thirty. "Don't do it lightly, you're trying to restart his heart." Stiles corrected. I nodded and pressed on his chest harder. This process continued for two cycles, me trying to restart Derek's heart and Stiles talking me through it. I pressed my mouth to Derek's for a third time when he coughed and sputtered against my mouth.

"What happened to my chest?" Derek asks as I pulled away from him. I looked at his sculpted chest now peppered with purplish bruises. I sheepishly shrugged as Scott and Stiles helped him to his feet. Scott gave Derek the magic bullet allowing Derek to perform some werewolf ritual on the powder which really consisted of him shoving the powdered wolfsbane into his wound and begin writhing on the floor in pain. If it hadn't been for all the screaming I wouldn't have minded watching Derek buck and writhe his hips.

"We just saved your life which means you're going to leave us alone, all of us, you got that? And if you don't I'm gonna go back to Allison's dad, and I'm going to tell him everything…" Scott threatened.

"You're going to trust them? You think they can help you?" Derek reprimanded.

"Well why not? They're a lot freaking nicer than you are!" Scott shouted pointing an accusing finger at Derek.

"Scott, they're werewolf hunters, you can't just tell them about Derek and manage to leave yourself out of the list of werewolves okay? That's like calling the cops on yourself." I say trying to be the voice of reason.

"Oh I can show you how nice they really are." Derek said ominously. The dangerous tilt in Derek's voice caused the hairs on my neck stand on edge.

"You know, I think I've had enough werewolf escapades for the day so, I think I'm just going to…go." Stiles said brandishing a finger towards the exit. No one stopped him from leaving and we didn't blame him for leaving.

Derek grabbed Scott by the scruff of his collar and me by the hand leading us to the door. "Where are we going?" Scott asks trying to free himself from Derek's grip.

"You'll see."

XX

We pulled into the long term care facility that was in the center of town. Scott held out a helping hand to pull me from the backseat of Derek's Camaro. "What are we doing here?" Scott questioned Derek, who hadn't waited for us to follow.

I give Scott's shoulder a light shove, "Come on, sweet tart isn't waiting for us to catch up." We dashed across the dying grass to catch up with Derek. Derek led us to the trauma patient wing, stopping right in front of a patient's door. I looked at the name plate on the door that read _Peter Hale._ Derek slowly opened the door and we followed him inside.

We gathered around a man in a wheelchair who sat unmoving in a catatonic state. "Who is he?" Scott asked, though not unkindly.

"My uncle, Peter Hale." Derek sounded surprisingly hollow. My heart swelled with sympathy as I wondered if this is why Derek was so guarded like I was.

"Is he…like you, a werewolf?" Scott questioned. I couldn't help but notice said you instead of us or we.

"He was. Now he's barely even human. Six years ago, my sister and I were at school, and our house caught fire. Eleven people were trapped inside. He was the only survivor." My throat tightened at Derek's confession. I didn't know who had it worse, me for having no family or him who had one member who merely existed. And it wasn't hard to imagine Derek consistently visiting his uncle shouting, begging for a response.

"So what makes you think they set the fire?" Scott asked in thought. I really wanted to smack him and from the look Derek was giving Scott, he did too.

"There the only ones who knew about us." I wanted to wait outside, I couldn't breathe and it felt wrong to be here but I stayed anyway.

"Well…then they had a reason." Scott shrugged indifferently.

Derek's eyes narrowed. "Like what? You tell me what justifies this?" He turned the wheelchair so the hidden half of Derek's uncle's face was visible. I gasped. Peter's face was marred with red burns and damaged tissue. "They say they'll only kill an adult, only with absolute proof, but there were people in my family who were completely ordinary in that fire. This is what they'll do. What Allison will do."

"No, no she wouldn't! If they did this it's because…"

"Scott, no one deserves to die like this. They'll kill you guys of feeling okay about it if they say you're the monster, but from where I'm standing…there the monsters." I say growing irrationally angry and defensive.

"What are you doing? How did you get in here?" A redheaded nurse questions from the doorway.

"We were just leaving." Derek snapped storming out of the room with Scott following sheepishly. I lowered myself to be level eyesight with Peter's drooping head. I reached out and cupped his face in my hands, straightening his posture. "Don't give up on Derek because he hasn't given up on you." His blue eyes stared right through mine.

"Visiting hours are over." The same nurse reprimanded. I sighed and headed out the door walking over Derek's idling Camaro. Scott was demoted to the backseat so I slipped into the passenger seat. I fasten my seat belt and press my head against the window.

"Wake me up when we get to my house." I demand, assuming Derek was driving us home. My eyes grow heavy as I'm lulled to sleep by the car's movement. Today had been a long day and I hadn't gotten a good night's sleep. I was just hoping I didn't have another nightmare while in the car, but I was too tired to stay awake.

Awareness flooded me as I'm being shaken awake. The crick in my neck reminds me I'd fallen asleep in Derek's car. Derek's hand leaves my shoulder as I arch my back stretching away the sleep. "Where's Scott?" I yawn settling back into the seat.

"He went home." I nodded feeling disoriented and confused from my short nap. Scott may no longer be in our company but he was probably listening to us.

I rubbed my eyes feeling more awake. "Thanks for the ride." I mumble pulling my bag on to my lap.

"For a human, you did good today." It wasn't what I would call a compliment or even a thank you but coming from Derek it meant a lot.

"I told you, you wouldn't die if I had any say in it." I retort launching myself out of the car. I swear I could faintly hear Derek say "I'm glad you did." but I wasn't sure if he had.

While I was getting ready for bed I couldn't help but feel unsettled. The visit to Derek's uncle left me as close to homesick I'll ever experience. I missed them so much it hurt. Most days I let myself be numb to the over powering feeling of sadness. So I self-medicated to numb myself from my perpetual state of drowning. My willpower to stay away from cigarettes and alcohol was slowly crumbling.

I pulled out my phone and dialed my social worker Jim. My call went straight to voice mail and Jim's overly cheery soprano asked me to leave a message. "Hey Jim…it's me, Cameron. I was just wondering if we could take a visit to Washington to visit my parents? I know it's not my birthday but…I was hoping…call me."

I flung myself onto my bed overly upset with today's events. It was stressful and overall, triggering. In hindsight, I should have realized werewolves would be triggering to a girl whose parents were mauled by a wolf.

* * *

**Camrek action in this chapter! eeep! OMG 7 REVIEWS I LALALALOVE YOU! Thanks to everyone who reviewed/favorited/followed! Let me know what your favorite part was in this chapter as a review! Alright so I'm going to get into the questions because there's A LOT. (THANK YOU)**

**Q: Will Ben be at the night school**

**A: Um, I've never thought about it but I can work on that if that's something you'd be interesting?**

**Q: Is Cameron something supernatural?**

**A: Yes, she doesn't know it yet though.**

**Q: When will we find out what Cam is? Will it be this season? Will we have to wait?**

**A: The Alpha will make Cameron aware that she is something without actually saying what she is because he's a sassy fucker. (And I love him) Cameron won't get facts until the four month hiatus. Maybe sooner because of the overflow of hunters in S2.**

**Q: WHEN WILL CAMREK BECOME A THING?**

**A: Well I want this to be kind of a slow burn because I want to make this realistic. I don't want this to be like ERMAGERD I LUV U BB! Both characters are so emotionally damaged they don't really know how to trust anyone. And they've only come into contact a few times so they're not going to trust each other right off the bat.**

**Q: Who does Lydia choose to live with?**

**A: Mama Martin!**

**Q: Why does Cameron have amber eyes?  
**

**A: It has to do with what she is.**

**Q: Will the Argents try anything to see if Cameron is a Beta? **

**A: Yes next chapter Cameron will be spending the night with the Argents and well Kate is ominously vague and creepy and Chris is a dick.**

**Q: If shit goes down with Cameron and the asshole foster parents what does that mean for Danny and Ben?**

**A: Ben is going to go through some changes that is going to affect Cameron and her foster parents.**

**Q: Teen Wolf season(s) plot lines?**

**A: I'll be keeping mostly everything that is canon the same. **

**Q: How often do you update?**

**A: I'll try to update at least 2-3 times a week. I'll have to check when I have breaks so I can see/ plan if I can update daily and if I never say when I'm on school break you'll know (trust me.)**

**OHOHOH GUYS I'm going to write a Halloween chapter but I need costume ideas. Scott, Stiles, Jackson, Lydia and Allison need costume ideas. I was thinking Allison would be a wood nymph? For Cameron its a tie between Little Red Riding Hood or Grace Faraday from Gangster Squad. **


	9. Chapter 9

"So what are we going to do?" I ask following Allison to her car. Allison had cornered me at my locker before the dismissal bell to tell me I'd be spending the night at her house. Even as I had tried to weasel my way out it she insisted and would not take no for an answer.

"Well I'm going to let my family torture you then feed your carcass to the wolves." I stiffen with wide eyes. Allison catches my worrisome expression and smiles. "Hello, I'm just kidding! Geez Cam lighten up, we're going to have fun and we'll have dinner with my parents."

"Okay well, what about my clothes? Or did you forget the fact I'm being held captive here?" Allison rolls eyes as she put the Prius in gear, pulling out of the lot. In all honesty, I didn't want to spend an evening with skillfully trained hunters who thought I was a werewolf.

"I've got that covered, I asked your brother Ben to pack you an overnight bag. And if you really need to, you can borrow some of my clothes. She quickly cut a side glance at me before reconsidering. "Maybe my Aunt's clothes would be a better fit." It was not secret we we're different in physical appearance. Allison was sender and angular where I was agile and curvy. In some respects we resemble a fox and a doe.

"So this Aunt Kate of yours, what's she about?" In other words I was trying to figure out if she would shoot me with a few wolfsbane bullets the second I walked through the door.

"She's cool, she's like my sister but I don't get to see her all the time." Allison say with a small smile.

"How come? Does she live far away?" I question.

"She doesn't live anywhere long, she doesn't like to settle but she used to live here when she was younger." It sounded like it bothered Allison, her favorite aunt never around for long.

"So how come she came back?" I ask though not unkindly.

"She's helping my dad set up his business here." I catch the hesitation in Allison voice, piquing my interest.

"What's your dad's business?" I ask causing Allison to grimace slightly.

"Okay so don't freak out or anything but my dad's kind of…a firearms consultant for the law enforcement." Oh. It was cover story then. "Scott kind of had a heart attack when he saw all the guns in the garage."

"Wait your dad keeps them _in the house_?" I gulp with palpable worry. I was fucked if they really did think I was a werewolf.

"Don't worry they're all locked up and only my dad has the key." Allison says trying to soothe my worry. Little did Allison know that nothing was ever locked.

"So they won't like, shoot me if they don't like me right?" I throw on a wry smile for good measure, trying to appear at ease.

"Nah, only if I ask them to." Allison gives a one shoulder shrug. I shove her shoulder playfully just as she parked the car in the driveway. I followed Allison out of the car and up the porch. Allison pushed the door open and I followed her inside. "Mom, Dad I'm home! And I brought a friend." The brunette calls out. Heels click against the tile, signaling someone's approach.

"Sorry sweetheart, it's just me. Your parents went out." A sandy-haired woman smiles as she leans against the wall.

"Oh hi Aunt Kate, this is my friend Cameron. Cameron, this is my Aunt Kate." I hold out my hand as Allison introduces us. Kate stares at it warily before accepting it in a quick shake. Her eyes narrow dangerously as our eyes meet momentarily.

"It's nice to finally meet you. Allison has told me so much about you." I smile as politely as possible. Her Aunt gives a nod of her own.

"Are you staying for dinner?" It's an unspoken challenge I refuse to back down from.

"I'm staying the night actually." I smile widely feigning innocence.

"Oh...how, _nice_." Her smile falters before disappearing altogether.

"Isn't it thought? I was thinking that maybe later the three of us could watch a marathon of movies and stuff."

"Only if you two finish your homework before dinner." Kate warns before smiling wryly. Allison not wanting to take the risk grabs my arm and leads me upstairs to her room. We get down to business and start our homework gossiping idly. Allison's Aunt frequently checks up on us, probably to make sure Allison's throat was still intact.

"So who was that guy you were yesterday after school?" I nearly choke on the eraser I'd been chewing on.

"What?" I squawk as I choke on my spit.

Allison smiles sheepishly. "I um, I saw you with this guy and you too looked comfortable…And I just remembered you telling Lydia you weren't seeing anyone." I outwardly groan I hadn't thought anyone would see me and Derek arm in arm but we had been in the school parking lot. It still didn't stop me from remembering how his lips had felt against mine, albeit he was unconscious but with a little bit of pressure on his part…

"I won't tell anyone if that's what you're worried about." Allison said with an earnest smile.

"No, no that's not it. It was nothing thing really, we're not really even friends." I scratch the back of my neck thoroughly flustered at the mention of Derek.

"It looked like you were a lot closer than friends." Allison shrugs smiling slyly.

"It's nothing really." I say with a noncommittal shrug.

"Well I think if he makes you happy you should go for it." Allison smiles earnestly before dropping my gaze. I knew her slightly well enough now to know that was her way of wanting to talk about something without actually having to say it.

"So since we're on the topic of boys, how was your study date with Scotty boy?" I ask drumming my hand on my Algebra notebook.

"Ugh, not good at all, dinner was so awkward and uncomfortable. It was like my dad wanted something to be wrong with Scott y'know? And even Kate got weird; she thought he stole something from her bag." Allison vents pushing her notebook to the side.

"Did he?" I ask chewing on my eraser again.

"No, it wasn't him… It was me." Allison's cheeks flush red with the confession. I quirked a brow waiting for her to continue. "Well, you guys said to give him a taste… so I might have taken a condom from her bag."

I throw my head back into a fit of laughter. "It's not funny! My dad wouldn't look at me for over an hour!" This just makes me laugh harder to the point of tears.

"Oh God…that's so deliciously hilarious it hurts." I cackle. Allison pouts but laughs along with me.

"I guess it is pretty funny if you think about it." Allison chuckles as she tucks a stray curl behind her ear.

"So has Lydia jumped down your throat yet for costume ideas for Halloween?" I ask switching the subject.

"Yeah, she thinks I should be a sexy sea nymph." Allison says with a slight frown. "You?"

"Lydia wants to go costume shopping but I'm not sure if I'm going to like the price of the costumes." I shrug. I just didn't feel right about having Lydia pay for my stuff for me. If I couldn't buy it myself I didn't want it.

"Yeah I understand, but if it bothers you do something cheaper."

"Do what cheaper?" Allison's Aunt asks in way of announcing herself. Her arms are crossed as she casually rests her hip on the doorframe. Even in casualness she oozed a dangerous confidence.

"Cammy doesn't know what to dress up as for Halloween." Allison states, looking to Kate for advice. It was easy to see Allison absolutely admired her Aunt in the way her eyes gleamed under her attention.

"Isn't that like a month away?" Kate questions. She shoots me a look of confusion. "Can't you wait until it gets closer to the day?" Clearly she's never met Lydia Martin.

"Our friend Lydia is kind of anal about these things so she needs an answer like, last week." I playfully roll my eyes in frustration. Kate eyed me for a second before holding up a finger in a 'just a second' gesture and walked out.

"I was going to save this for Allison, but seeing as she might do a couple costumes, you know if my brother doesn't kill his only daughter's boyfriend." Kate calls from down the hall before reentering the bedroom. She tosses two folded wads of clothing my way. I quickly unfolded them to reveal a red, hooded cape and a simple black body con dress. "Oh and this." Kate pulls a necklace from her pocket and lightly tosses it at me. The necklace was more of a pendant than anything else. To my realization the pendant opened to reveal a secret opening filled with a vivid purple powder.

"Little red riding hood?" I question with a raised brow. I hadn't expected a trained werewolf huntress to dress as Little Red, but maybe I was wrong. Maybe Kate wasn't a hunter like Mr. Argent was.

"What's this purple stuff?" Allison asks as she leans over to peek at the necklace.

"Did you know farmers would put a certain purple flower inside bullets to shoot and kill wolves that tried hunting their sheep?" My hands stiffen around the necklace. The purple powder was granulated wolfsbane. The very same wolfsbane that almost killed Derek, the kind Kate wanted me to wear. "After a while, they started calling that purple flower Wolfsbane."

"Isn't it poisonous?" I ask innocently enough. Kate smirks slightly, causing my muscles to tighten.

"Legend says the granulated flowers were only poisonous to wolves."

"And the actual flowers?" Allison asks intrigued by the prospect of poisonous flowers.

"Still poisonous, but the flowers can be, well, they can be a pretty interesting physiological thriller." Kate leans forward and pinches a small amount of the purple powder between her fingers. "Let's just say you'd have to be really special to be affected by this."

Kate straightens herself out as she wipes her hands on the front of her jeans. "Anyways, Allison your mom called. They're on their way home and she asked me to get dinner started, so I wanted to see what you felt like." Both Allison and her aunt look to me for an answer.

"Uh, I'm good with whatever you feel like making." I give a one shoulder shrug and a pleasant smile.

"Well alright then, Italian it is." With that Kate leaves the room. After Kate leaves Allison and I continue on with our homework. Instead of focusing on parabolas my attention kept drifting off towards the necklace. Part of me wondered if at one point during this evening I'd be poisoned with wolfsbane for good measure.

"Hey are you done with your homework?" Allison's voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

"Hmm?" I look back at my friend before her question registers. "Oh yeah I'm done." I lie as I snap my Algebra book shut.

"Great so what should we do now?" Allison asks clasping her hands together. It was obvious Allison didn't invite many friends over so she didn't know how to go about having friends over. Not like I was any better.

"I don't know what do you normally do?" I ask looking around the brunette's room trying to get a sense of her interests. Allison was still slowly unpacking her belongings and had several boxes of forgotten interests.

"I go running before dinner, but I don't think you'd be-"

"Alright let's go." I interrupt Allison's fumbling for ideas.

"Really?" Allison says in surprise.

"Yeah just let me borrow some running clothes." With that Allison was more than happy to find me a change of clothes, albeit she did have to borrow something from Kate. After we had changed Allison promised her aunt we wouldn't be long and back in time for dinner. Our run through the woods started off friendly before both our competitive behaviors kind of went into overdrive. Allison and I egged each other on trying to see just how far we could push ourselves.

"Oh God Cameron wait up! I need a minute." Allison gasped as she hunched over herself, hands on her knees trying to catch her breath. We'd only made it three miles in and I was still going strong while my running buddy might have collapsed a lung.

"Aw come on, don't bail on me now! We were making good time!"

"I swear, how are you not even winded?" Allison wheezed as she sent a glare my way.

I patted my ribs with a smug smile. "Lungs of steel sweetheart." Allison apparently didn't appreciate the sarcasm, seeing as she through a stray tree branch in my general direction. I figured she'd be a while seeing as she was now sprawled out on the forest floor regretting many life decisions. I hopped up on a tree stump that I literally had to jump on, like holy shit if I thought the stump was big the tree that once stood here must have been a monstrosity. I didn't get a signal on my phone so I grew pretty bored after about, 5 seconds. "You good, wheezy?"

"I hate you, you do know that right?" Allison teasingly glared as she sat up, leaves sticking out of every end of her bun.

"No you don't. Now get up." I slipped off the tree stump and held out a hand to help heave Allison off the ground. "You know it's going to take longer to get back to your place seeing as you're tired and not in the mood to run?"

"We'll get back in no time." The tall brunette assures with confidence. "I go running around here all the time."

After twenty minutes of wandering the woods it was obvious Allison had no idea where we were. We were lost in the woods. This should pan out perfectly. Especially with a psychotic Alpha after my ass.

"We're lost." I complain kicking my borrowed sneaker against a rock.

"We are not lost!" Allison exclaims with frustration. "I know exactly where we're going."

I look around with pursed lips. "Is that why we've been walking in circles?" Allison whipped her head round realizing we had in fact been walking in circles. "Come on, I think I saw a house up ahead." I lead the way to the direction I thought I'd seen the house. Allison trailed behind me as I lead.

"Are you sure? I didn't see a house."

"I didn't say _you_ did." I stepped over a protruding tree branch as we bounded up a hill. I looked up to find a decimated house, burnt to a crisp. "Wow." Even though the house was burned and destroyed in a strange way it was still beautiful. It vaguely reminded me of my own childhood home with the wrap-around porch. I wasn't even sure how I'd just remembered that.

"Looks like no one's home." My brunette friend observes with a frown. "Hey I think I see a trail that leads to the house!" Allison quickly links her arm through mine and yanked me away from where I stood.

XX

After returning from our misshapen jog we both took turns showering off the dirt and sweat from today. We were just about done when Allison's mother called us both down for dinner. We were all seated at the dining room table with plates full of spinach and chicken farfalle. It would be an understatement to say this meal was incredibly awkward. Allison's parents and her aunt Kate kept eyeing me waiting for me to lunge.

"Would you like more water Cameron?" Allison's mother asks.

"Uh no thank you." I push the bowties around on my plate. I'd never had friends that had parents they wanted me to meet, so I wasn't sure how any of this was supposed to work.

"How about a beer?" Mr. Argent questions with an almost dangerous glint in his eye.

"No sir."

"Tequila?"

"No thank you." I say with a tight smile. "I'm all good."

"Really dad? Can't I bring anyone over without you interrogating them?" Allison snaps with an annoyed glare. My brows quirk in surprise, Allison must have been referring to her horrible dinner with Scott.

"Do you not drink Cameron?" I was so tempted to reply with a snarky 'no not anymore' but I figured they'd either shoot me or kick me out. Damn you temperamental hunters.

"No I try to stay away from all of that stuff." I say between chews of the pasta. At least it was the truth… sort of. Kate set down her fork as she watched me interact with her brother.

"Okaay, so stopping this from being a repeat of the other night, Allison said you were interested in joining the softball team? What position are you interested in?"

I silently thanked Kate for the much needed topic change. "I'm a pretty decent pitcher and well, I have a pretty wicked curve ball.

"When are your tryouts?" Mrs. Argent asks sipping a glass of wine.

"In a couple of days actually." I felt so uncomfortable. I felt like I had to amp up being a normal human so Allison's parents didn't think I was a werewolf and I had to pretend I was a well-rounded student that didn't have a substance issue. I also really, _really_ hated small talk.

"I'm trying to convince to try out for cross country instead. You guys should have seen her today. We went running and we had to stop because I was tired after three miles but Cam wasn't even tired! We stopped for like ten minutes so I could catch my breath and she just wanted to keep going." I knew Allison only meant to praise me in front of her family but the pointed looks they gave me seem less than pleased. Shit.

"So how long have you lived in Beacon Hills?" Mr. Argent questions as he sips his own glass of wine.

"Not long actually, I moved here from Reno about six weeks ago." Had it really been six weeks already? This might have been the longest I've stayed in one place for what felt like a lifetime.

"So you move around a lot?" I nod yes, quickly growing weary of where this conversation was headed.

"What did you say your parents did for a living?" Chris Argent asks with a hard stare. I drop my fork with a clatter against my plate with a wince. I'd be a fool if I thought the P question would be brought up.

"_Chris."_ Mrs. Argent reprimands her husband's questioning. Mr. Argent looks at me with a softer expression.

"I didn't say." We were on a one way trip down the 'my parents are dead' train and I wanted to get the hell off.

"I'm sorry I didn't realize your parents might be out of work. I knew unemployment rates were high but-"

"_Dad._"

My chest was beginning to ache. I wanted to go home, wherever that was. "No they're not unemployed. My parents…they passed away when I was six." Different variations of guilt fill the Argent's features.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to…" Chris fumbles over his words, clearly floored with the confession.

"How did it happen, if you don't mind me asking?" Kate questions in a soft voice. I didn't want to be here anymore. I didn't want to talk about this not to a perfect family, whose only flaw being they were hunters. Why couldn't I have any of this? I wanted a mom and a dad that gave a flying shit about me. I wanted nightly family dinners sitting around a table with my family.

But I didn't have any of that. I only had blood stained memories of what could have been.

I choke down the lump in my throat. "My parents ran a wolf sanctuary in Washington. I found out they opened it because they gray wolf is being hunted into extinction, so I guess that made my parents big hippies huh?" My hollow laugh sounded far too watery for my likings. "Excuse me, I'm sorry." I push myself out of my chair and flee to the bathroom in the guest bedroom.

I locked the door and slid my back down the wall until I was sitting on the cold tile. I was cracking and I didn't know how long it would take until I finally broke. I wouldn't be that girl that let things get to her, who would cry when things got rough. I didn't want to run every time the P word was brought up because I was just so tired of running, especially when I had no one to run to. There was Ben but as much as I loved him, he just didn't understand the loss and guilt that followed death.

A soft knock at the door sobered me out of somber thoughts. "Cammy?" Allison's voice called from behind the door. I sighed, I just dropped a bomb on her and now I needed to brace for impact. "Can you let me in?" I heaved myself off the floor and clicked the door open. Before I can even step back Allison barrels into the bathroom and captures me into a bone crushing hug. "I am _so _sorry!" Allison mumbles apologies in a tearful voice not once loosening her grip around my ribs.

"Allison…can't. Breathe." I choked as I tried prying Allison off of me.

"Oh! Right!" Allison relinquishes her grip as she takes a sheepish step back. "Sorry."

With a steady flow of oxygen returning to my lungs I smiled at my tall friend. "All good."

"Cam, I am so sorry. I don't even know what got into my dad, with all those questions? If you want to go home you can and I wouldn't even blame you." My doe eyed friend shook her head adamantly as she seethed with anger.

"It's fine. It's not his fault I never told you." I shrug picking an invisible piece of lint off of my T shirt.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Allison asks sounding more than a little hurt. She crossed her arms over her chest as she waited for an answer.

"Allison I don't really tell anyone one, I mean it's not like I enjoy admitting my parents are dead and I'm in foster care. I hate talking about, so please. Don't make me." Allison nodded clearly not accepting my answer but respecting it nonetheless.

"You're okay though, right?"

"I'm fine, I promise."

Allison was still furious with her family so instead on having a movie marathon downstairs on the living room flat screen, we were huddled together on her bed watching _Clueless_ on Netflix. Every now and then Allison would try to be sly and slip in questions about my childhood, to none of which I answered. I didn't want to have to answer any questions until I was ready. So for right now all I wanted to do was watch movies until I was forced to re-enter my own reality.

It was four in the morning and I was still watching movies. Allison had fallen asleep around midnight, which I didn't blame her; it was still a school night. I on the other hand had to stay awake. I'd been having the nightmares again and didn't really want to explain why I woke up screaming while writhing in pain.

My phone alerted me I had a text message. I hastily pulled out the ear buds as every horrible scenario that could have happened to Ben filled my imagination. Thank god it was only Jim. It was Jim though. A text from Jim ultimately meant he had bad news.

_I'd love to be able to take you to Washington so you could visit your parents, but with Carrie being so close to her due date I wouldn't feel comfortable with the trip. Your birthday isn't that far away! Think of it as delayed satisfaction when we go in February!_

Don't worry; it's just another crack under the surface.

* * *

**I swear I love you all! Your ideas for the costumes were amazing and I'm still narrowing down who is going to be what BUT Stiles still needs a costume! Big BIG BIG thank you to everyone who reviewed/followed/ favortied it always means a lot to see you guys get excited over my story. It gives me fangirly excited squeals I'm not even kidding. So not a lot of question this time but a lot of it is concerning the upcoming Halloween chapter so I will answer those first.**

**Q: (not really a question but still) Cameron's Halloween costume?**

**A: Little Red, though I am disappointed Cam wont be Grace but I'll incorporate it somehow maybe as a costume idea. Either way I had jokes for both costumes up my sleeve.**

**Q: When will we see the Halloween chapter(s)? **

**A: I'm fleshing out plot for it as I type. Instead of doing my Physics homework I dream of Camrek Halloween snip-its. I'm not sure if I want to have the chapter placed before Night School or after it. As of now I'm leaning towards before.**

**Q: Can you make the Halloween chapter long with a Camrek encounter where they share a little about themselves?**

**A: I must be a benevolent god because a Camrek encounter like that will come sooner than the Halloween chapters! But as of now as I'm fleshing out plot if might just be about Camrek getting a little closer. So far all I've got is Derek trying to sober up a drunken Cameron. So what would you like to happen in the Halloween chapter? Besides Camrek of course. As for length I'll try to make it as long as possible because long chapters is not in my list of strong suits.  
**

**Q: (again not really a question I just wanted to address this.) Cameron prepared to cut Derek's arm off.**

**A: Cameron's fatal flaw in a sense is her ability to do anything to keep the people she cares about safe and alive because of her parents death she feels like she can't protect/ keep the people she loves. So if that meant cutting off Derek's arm so he could live, she would. Albeit she isn't in love with him at this point but she wouldn't be able to stand knowing she could have done something.**

**Q: Will Cameron and Issac be friends?**

**A: Cissac will eventually be brotp.**

**Q: Will Scott and Cameron be friends.**

**A: Honesty for Cameron their friendship is going to be vital.**

**Q: Will Allison and Cameron be friends?**

**A: Yep!**


	10. Chapter 10

The rest of the school week passed without an incident, well at least at school that is. Life at the Bennet home had been pretty hectic. John failed to properly apply for unemployment so to make everyone else's lives miserable he decided to become a belligerent drunk, even Mary-Anne was starting to grate at my fraying nerves.

Thankfully by Wednesday John ran out of beer and was able to sober up by Thursday. At this, Mary-Anne decided they needed the night out so they left the house to me and Ben to use however we pleased. That was if Ben wanted to spend time with me. Lately he'd been distant and avoiding me.

"Hey so I was thinking we could rent a movie?" I ask plopping down on the couch next to him.

"Oh, I don't know, I was going to head over to Danny's to hang." I bit the inside of my cheek. It was safe to say I was disappointed, this was the third time I've tried making plans with Ben.

"Are you mad at me?" Ben heaves a sigh running his hand through his haphazard curls.

"No it's just I've been-"

"Avoiding me?" I finish. Ben's shoulders sag slightly, knowing I was right.

"There's just a lot I need to tell you but I can't bring myself to." I quirk a brow, signaling my brother to continue. "I don't think this place is a good fit for me."

"So then where are we going?" Of course I would follow Ben. We'd been in so many homes together it really wasn't much of an afterthought.

"That's the thing. You're…Ronnie you're staying here." It took a moment to process what Ben was saying before I got hysterical. And it didn't matter Ben used his special nickname for me, he was leaving me behind. I'd be alone again and a simple 'Ronnie' wouldn't make me feel less afraid at the thought.

"What? No! How can you? Why would you? Jim knows that we aren't separated! I-no! No I'm not staying here without you!" I flap my arms about for emphasis. I wouldn't last two weeks without Ben.

"I might get adopted." My hysteria wilted instantly. All we wanted for each other was an adoption, but seeing as we getting older our chances had diminished. We were the 'broken babies' no one wanted. But Ben was getting his chance; I wouldn't be the person to take that from him. Ben did so much for me, I owed him this much.

I wrapped my arms around myself. I wouldn't allow myself to cry. "When do you leave?"

"In three days, but I'll be a town over and Jim's going to see what he can do about me still going to Beacon High." Ben says, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Three days? How long have you known about this?" I shout. I thought we told each other everything but here I was, completely out of the loop that was Ben O'Malley's life.

"For two weeks now." He hangs his head sheepishly.

"Two weeks! Ben didn't you think it'd be important to tell me? Or we're you even going to tell me?" I was getting angry. Didn't Ben realize we were a team? That we were a family? I hated the traitorous tears that threatened to spill.

"Ronnie I know this sucks but I don't want to fight you on this."

"Invite Danny over…I'll go get a movie." I say nodding my head pushing myself off the couch.

"You sure?" Ben asks with a frown clearly not okay with the idea.

"Yeah, I could use the fresh air. And I think we should all hang out, you know before…" I trail off not wanting to finish.

"Cam, don't be mad." Ben pleads standing up from his seat.

"I'm not it's just…" I can't handle loosing people. Ben's face crumples and pulls me into one of his famous bear hugs.

"I know, I know but I'm not them. I'm not dead and I'm right here. I'm living and breathing and I'll always be here for you." Ben runs a hand through my hair trying to soothe my unspoken worries, but I wasn't sure if that would be enough. "I'm your brother Ron, you're stuck with me."

I tighten my arms around his neck. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Ben's hand momentarily stops mid stroke in my hair. "You were just so _happy _and I didn't want to take that from you. You haven't been this good in a long time and I didn't want to be the one to mess that up for you." His answer hurts. And I needed to get away.

Like the flip of a switch I pull myself out of arms, no longer vulnerable, just a stoic expression in place. "I'll be back soon."

On the walk to the movie rental I stopped at the liquor store on the way. With the money I'd swiped from John I bought a pack clove cigarettes, a lighter, and some gum. My conscience that had begun to sound a lot like Ben told me this was a bad idea but I needed that numb feeling only a cigarette could give. Ben wasn't even gone yet but I felt like I'd already lost him.

The frigid Northern California air made me regret not grabbing a jacket. And the walk brisk walk wasn't helping, in fact the only thing it was doing was allow me to chain smoke half a pack away. But nonetheless, I welcomed the sweet and spicy scent the cigarettes offer.

Beacon Hills was slowly being overrun by the surrounding acres of forest to have a proper movie rental chain located in town. Instead on the outskirts of town there was a family owned movie rental with the very uncreative name _Videos 2C_

When I entered _Videos 2C _it was completely deserted. And I couldn't blame anyone for not wanting to come here, if I had the money I'd be walking my happy ass to the movie theater. The normally unpleasant employee, Quentin who manned the checkout was missing.

I would have believed the rental store had closed for the night if it hadn't been for the ominous latter set up and the sporadic flickering of the lights. I took a few steps deeper in into the rental store unease filling my gut.

"Hello?" I called out knowing I sounded exactly like a poor unsuspecting bastard about to get their throats slashed out. I stepped off of the carpet and slipped into a puddle. Good going Cam, slip in the puddle of water. "Fine establishment you're running here Q! Next time put out a caution sign!" I shout resting my head on the floor, wetting my forehead.

The water was warm.

Why was a puddle of water on the floor warm? I push myself off the floor to look down at the puddle I'd been lying in. It wasn't water. Not even close. It was blood. Oh God, this wasn't happening. Oh God, this wasn't happening, not again. Please not again. Quentin's throat was slashed. His lifeless body leaned against the DVD racks. His wide eyes stared at me as if to say 'why didn't you help me.'

"Hello," A familiar voice called out. "Does anyone know where I can find _The Notebook_?" If I hadn't come across a dead body with his throat ripped out I would be laughing myself silly that Jackson Whittemore was whipped.

All I could do was scream until I could taste blood at the base of my throat.

"Cam, what the hell? Why are-_oh fuck!"_

Just like in my nightmares I'm paralyzed with fear. I can't move and with my constricting throat I couldn't breathe.

"What's going on? Why are you covered in blood?"

"I don't know I slipped in…in the clerk's blood."

"Cam we need to get out of here, like _now_. I have Lydia in the car." Jackson tried to usher me to the door so we could get the hell out of here. However as were about to walk towards the door a deep growling from the back of the store causes us to turn around.

A black blur of fur and glowing red eyes separated Jackson and I as we both hid on opposite sides of the isle. We both stared at each other with palpable fear as we hid behind the movie racks. I hear shuffling on Jackson's side of the isle.

"Jackson," I whisper trying to get the attention of the last possible face I'll see before I die. "Run, get out of here and run." I didn't want to die especially for Jackson but I physically couldn't watch someone else die and mentally handle it. We needed a distraction. I could be that distraction.

The scared blond lacrosse player shook his head adamantly. I motioned for the door and mouthed go.

The boy jumped out but was trapped from the waist down by the domino effect of the collapsing movie racks. The giant mound of black fur loomed over Jackson. Not knowing what else to I grabbed a DVD and threw it as hard as I could not caring about the growing pain in my shoulder; if Coach Finstock were here he'd cry over my perfect form.

I'd stared death in the eyes once before and survived it, but as red eyes locked onto my amber ones I wasn't so sure I could say I'd survived it a second time. I will say I wasn't really thinking when I decided I wanted the attention of this _thing_.

The more I stared into the unnerving eyes I realized this wasn't any sort of animal, it was a werewolf and not just any werewolf it was the Alpha.

I broke my gaze from the alpha looking for something, anything to defend myself. I noticed a broken shelf from the movie racks and picked it up. "Come on." I taunted swinging my makeshift bat, knowing that taunting an Alpha with be my stupidest, most impulsive moment. "Come on!"

This got no reaction of the Alpha as it still stare me down. "Come on I don't bite."

"But I do." The Alpha growled before lunging itself at me. I swung my makeshift bat cracking it over its head. The beast's clawed hand (paw?) swiped at me flinging me to the store's wall, where my shoulder made impact with a loud crunch.

Twenty minutes later I'm sitting the back of an ambulance silently fighting with a paramedic who kept putting a shock blanket over my shoulders only to have me throw the blanket off. I'd been checked out and luckily walked (I was carried out) away with a separated shoulder, shallow scrapes, bruises and oh, my life.

I looked up at the sound of a cop car pulling up; it was Sheriff Stilinski and his son looking at me as if to say _what-in-the-hell-happened?_ I looked away, concentrating on the paramedic slipping my injured arm into a sling.

"Why the hell can't I just go home? I'm fine." Jackson snapped

"Look I hear ya, but the EMT said you hit your head pretty hard, they just wanna make sure you don't have a concussion." The Sheriff said trying to soothe the overreacting teen.

"What part of _I'm fine_ are you having trouble grasping? I want. To go. Home." I hadn't even hit my head and Jackson's bitching was giving me a headache.

"And I understand that-"

"No you don't 'understand' which blows my mind since it's a pretty basic concept to grasp for a minimum wage rent-a-cop like you. Now I want to go home!" Jackson shouted as he got into the Sheriff's face.

"Jackson!" I shout causing the paramedic to jump; I may have overestimated my vocal ability at the moment. "If you want to go home so bad give your fucking statement and stop bitching because this supposed rent-a-cop it just trying to his job so let him. And puffing up your chest and acting big and bad isn't getting you anywhere so calm the fuck down."

The shock blanket was carefully placed over my shoulders again.

The Sheriff made his way towards me. "Sorry about that, that was out of line." I mumbled slightly ashamed of my choice of language in front of the county sheriff.

"It's no problem Cam," The Sheriff assured patting my uninjured shoulder. "And between you and me, he deserved it."

I smiled weakly at the sheriff trying to ease my nerves, "I just don't think he had any right to speak to you that way Sir, but you should take Lydia and Jackson's statements first."

As the sheriff walked away to take the statements Stiles came up to me with palpable worry. "Cam, are you okay? What happened?"

"The Alpha threatened to bite me." I whisper staring at my hands caked with Quentin's blood.

"What!" Stiles exclaims. Stiles licked his lips dying to ask the question I was certain was on his mind. "Did he, you know? Bite you?"

"Stiles I thought I told you to stay in the car?" The Sheriff barks pulling Stiles away by the scruff of his neck before returning to take my statement.

"Cameron, I'm going to need to get your statement. I know you may not want to talk about it but do you think you can tell me everything you remember?" The Sheriff asks pulling out a notepad.

"I don't know. I mean it happened so fast." I shrug dejectedly. I wanted to desperately go home and forget this ever happened.

"Ok, I understand but let's start from the beginning. You're entering the store, what do you see? What is running through your mind?"

"If I had the money I'd be at the theaters instead." I got a small chuckle out of the Sheriff. He gave me look that said 'this is serious.' "I thought it might have been closed." I stare off into space, remembering the eerie ambiance on the video store.

"What made you think that?" The Sheriff presses as he scribbles down exactly what I'm saying.

"It looked like he was changing the florescent lights. I remember Jackson knocking down the ladder before the lights went out."

"And the blood?" I suddenly feel six years old, when I was asked the exact same question. Only this time I knew the answer.

"I thought he was moping the floor." I say rolling my head back to look at the sky. I turn my head to look at the blood bath that was _Videos 2C_ when I see two figure standing on the rooftop. It was Scott and Derek overlooking the handy work of the Alpha. I caught their eye. Scott looked at me as if I were a wounded puppy he could take to work with him and Derek just stared. I assumed they were listening, hoping I wouldn't blow their cover. "I wasn't really paying attention and I slipped. I thought it was just water but it was warm. I stopped on the way here and maybe if I hadn't…"

"When I was getting Jackson's statement he said you told him to leave you behind. He also said you tried distracting whatever it was that attacked you."

"He's faster than I am and he had Lydia with him, so I thought if he got out first they'd both walk away from this." I tighten my grip on the blanket. This conversation is going to a place I didn't want to go. Luckily the Sheriff noticed my growing distress.

"Do you have any idea what it was?"

"I'm not sure. I kind of blacked out after I got shoved but I think it might have been a mountain lion." I lie.

The Sheriff asked several more questions before deducing I was alone and had no ride. So being the Sheriff, I was given a ride home sitting shot gun whilst demoting Stiles to sit in the back of the squad car. I was in a daze but I was acutely aware of how small and pathetic I felt walking to the front of my house like a sad duckling with my wing in an uncomfortable sling.

XX

I was beginning to feel flustered with all the coddling that ensued after my near death escapade. Thankfully I'd managed to dodge all my friends for most of the day, but I hadn't been able to avoid the rest of my peers pointing and hushed whispers, my concerned teachers giving me slack, (My dominant arm just _had_ to be in a sling) and I couldn't even dodge being called into Ms. Morrell's office for a check up.

But all that I could handle, it was the sucker punch to the throat from Coach Finstock I couldn't handle. During my free period I slipped into Finstock's office so I could privately speak to him about softball tryouts that would be taking place after school. Needless to say after Finstock patted me on my uninjured shoulder with a "Better luck next year" speech I lost it.

It's not like I was pulling a brave face for anyone's benefit.

Because I really wasn't.

But really I wasn't, but that still didn't stop me from losing it.

I stalked off to the nurse's office in a blind rage. I simply stated "I think I over compensated when I decided to come to school today, can I go home and rest?" The nurse just smiled sympathetically (I didn't know whether to use it to my advantage or punch her in the throat) and told me to go home and rest. That's the thing about sympathy, people feel bad for you but their just glad it wasn't them. So they do what they can't to make a shitty situation somewhat better.

After leaving the nurse's office I go to my locker to throw my bag in, not needing it for the day. I saw Jackson approaching looking slightly peaked. "You okay Jackson?"

"Yeah I'm just heading to chemistry. You're not going?"

"Nah, I'm not really in the mood to endure Danny's perpetual coddling."

"How's your shoulder?" Jackson asked in earnest (but surprising) concern.

"Separated."

Jackson nodded not really sure what to say next. I didn't really know how to end the conversation. Before I can, Jackson stalks off to Mr. Harris' class leaving staring after him. It's not like I saved your ass or anything.

Being the person that I am, I knew exactly what would help calm my jittery nerves but would cause more harm than good, not that I actually cared. So acting on impulse I headed towards the girls locker room taking off my sling on the way. Clad in a sports bra and Lydia's old volleyball shorts (not caring my scars were on full display) I ducked out of school. I decided to do what I always did best: run.

This time I was running to just run. I wasn't running from anything. I wasn't running to anything. I was running to feel something, to disconnect in a way, and once you start running you never really stop.

* * *

**Am I the only one who thinks this was a really short chapter? Well, yes it was... I felt a little reluctant to post/ write because I don't think anyone really liked the last chapter (myself included) because it was mostly explaining the mythology of Wolfsbane seeing as the show doesn't do a very good job at clearing things up. So I came up with my own mythology but the farmers shooting wolfs with the plant is all true fyi. **

**Tell me what you liked and didn't like about this chapter. Thank you to those that reviewed/ followed/ favorited because I love you all.**

**And oh my god I love the ideas for the Halloween chapter so much I can't wait until I have the entire storyline plotted out because omfg I'M FREAKING EXCITED. So far what I've got that isn't too spoiler-y is Cameron has a full blown panic attack and later in the chapter get hammered beyond belief. And Derek is left with the task of sobering her up.**

**Not that many question, mostly regarding plot and costumes of the Halloween chapter.**

**Q: Will Cameron and Stiles EVER be friends?**

**A: Yeah, not in the next chapter but in up coming chapters there will be Stameron friendship development development.**

**Q: (Not a question but still) Costumes?**

**A: Because I can't give you guys an exact date of when the Halloween chapter up I'll throw you a bone and tell you costume ideas as of now.**

**Cameron- Little Red Riding Hood.**

**Lydia- Black Swan**

**Jackson- Vampire**

**Allison- Alice in Wonderland**

**Scott- Mad Hatter**

**Stiles- Batman**

**Danny- Al Capone**

**Ben- Mickey Cohen (I wanted Ben, Danny and Cam to have themed costumes but oh well)**

**Any more costume suggestions are welcome. And again sorry if this was sort I'm working on a surprise chapter I hope you'll like!**

**Don't forget to review! **


	11. Chapter 11

**JFC I'M SO HORRIBLE. YOU'LL UNDERSTAND AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER GAH SORRY!**

* * *

An hour and ten miles later I was lying on my back somewhere in the forest waiting in vain for my lungs to catch up with my body. The woods were dead quiet as my heart pounded furiously in my chest and my chest heaved with every breath I took.

But even though my body absolutely hated me right now I couldn't bring myself to regret the decision. The pounding in my chest brought me the exact feeling I was hoping for. The constant thumping in my heart reminded me I was alive and okay, even if it didn't seem that way. I'd often worked my body as if it were a punishment hoping to feel anything.

I was too focused on the constant thumping of my heart I hadn't paid attention to another set of repetitive thumping until someone lightly kicked my numb throbbing legs. "You shouldn't be out here."

I looked up to find a very annoyed and a very shirtless Derek Hale. My heart still pounding heart began pounding for a completely different reason. "And you're probably right."

"Especially after last night, I thought you'd be smarter." Derek snapped.

With the best devil-may-care I could muster I respond with, "Well I'm impulsive at best so, your fault for assuming."

"Your arm isn't in its sling." Derek stated.

"Well what do you know? It isn't," I say with mock surprise. "Now if you're done with the faux concern-"

"What did you see?" Derek interrupted dropping the concerned friend approach.

My lips twitched. I'd went running to forget and here Derek was, demanding answers. "I don't want to talk about it." I snapped glaring at a tree.

"I wasn't asking if you did. What did you see?"

"You and I both know what I saw."

"Did you see anything that could help us find him?" Derek pressed; completely ignoring my request to drop it.

"Look I'm kind of having a bit of a bad week so if you could…"

"And how's your week going to be if the Alpha decides to kill someone else? Or give you the bite hmm?"

I snap my head up to look at him. "Then I add it to the pile of other shit I have to deal with okay?"

Derek rolls his eyes. "Oh yeah, I bet being a completely ordinary human is really gut-wrenching. I feel for you, I really do."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I screech jumping up from my lounging position to stand.

Derek shrugged. "I'm saying you're plainly human. You have it easy."

"Ok first of all dick bag, you don't know anything about me, so don't assume you know my story. Second of all, just because I'm human doesn't mean I'm given a normal life!"

"You're also not being hunted for being who you are."

"You'd be surprised." I scoff folding my arms. Derek's eyes narrowed to my side with the visible scars. A look of confusion and possibly even guilt danced across Derek's face. Yeah that's right you attractive fuck face, feel guilty.

I glance down at the scars, feeling a twinge of sadness. "Like I said, you don't know anything about me." I scratch the back of my neck, wondering if I should throw him a bone. "I didn't see much, but even if I had, it's not like I have anything to compare it to." With that I turn on my heels and walked away leaving behind a speechless Derek.

I wish I had thought out my plan on going out for a ten mile run. I was now in the middle of the woods trying to find a trail that led me back to the main road so I could make it back for Parent-Teacher conferences. The trail I had been following led me to the giant trees stump before leading me back to the road. The walk back to school felt longer than my run now that I was physically spent for the day. By the time I arrived back to school it was around 5:30 and the conferences didn't start until 7.

I limped with sore muscles to my locker to retrieve my stash of clothes to sneak a shower in the girl's locker room. I spun the dial on the locker and quickly grabbed the stuff I'd need before halting. Taped to the inside of the door was an article.

_Wolf attack leaves two parents dead, leaving behind 6-year-old daughter, who survived the gruesome attack._

My throat constricted. I didn't know if this was some cruel joke by a peer or the Alpha who was toying with me by placing things into my locker. I quickly rushed away from my locker and despite my throbbing legs I sprinted towards the locker room. My hands shook as I pulled out my phone. I didn't know if I should call Scott, he wanted to know if I got things in my locker but if this was from the Alpha that meant I had a lot of explaining to do. It also meant the Alpha, whoever he may be, knew a lot more about me than I felt comfortable with.

I was no longer the Alpha's pawn, I'd somehow become a wild card. And I was scared, and I was even too afraid to admit how terrified I was. I could be in possible danger by something I wasn't even fully aware of. What didn't make sense, if the Alpha was using me for some greater purpose, why had he hesitated in giving me the bite? Did I want it? No, I didn't but why choose now to take feelings into account? With a frustrated sigh I dialed Scott to only be redirected to his voicemail, _'This is my voicemail…you should know what to do by this point.'_

"Scott, its Cam. Call me back." There wasn't much else I could do at this point so I quickly showered for my Parent-Teacher conferences. I wasn't failing any classes (that I knew of) or anything but I was considered a 'special circumstance.' So instead of John and Mary-Anne attending, which I was thankful for, it would just be me and Jim.

The sling was painful to slip back on after I'd dressed into a clean outfit of Lydia's clothes; I'd probably done more damage to it taking it out of the sling. I couldn't bring myself to care too much because it would eventually get better. I checked my phone again to see Scott had yet to call me back. I thought to call Derek but quickly dismissed it. He'd pissed me off earlier. So instead I sent a text to Stiles, who I wasn't too happy to contact either.

_Need to talk to Scott. _

His quick response caused my eyebrows to rise in surprise.

_Get in line. I've gotten nothing but radio silence all day._

I didn't know how to respond, I mean how do I respond to that? Stiles must have grown antsy in my 30 seconds of no response and called me. I accepted the call.

"Hello?" I ask into the phone.

"Why do you need to talk to Scott?" Stiles asks in way of hello. Did every guy I talk to have a one track mind? But nonetheless, I hesitated in telling Stiles about the article in my locker.

"Uh, no reason important, the conferences are going to start soon." I lie with ease. I stared down at the article again. It was starting to turn brown and had foxing around the edges. Whose ever possession it had once been in had clearly read it over frequently, again to which I found unsettling.

"He's not there yet?" Stiles asked in a surprised voice. I could practically hear him pacing through the phone.

"No, but I'm not worried. He has like, another 20 minutes to get here." My eyes glazed over as I continued to stare at the article and I would continue to do so. As long as I didn't have to read it I'd be stable enough to just look at it. It was the first time in years I'd seen my parents smiling faces, of course it was just a picture. "Hey I gotta go; I'll talk to you later Stiles." I hung before his "Wait" could register.

XX

"So are you excited to hear what your teachers have to say about you?" Jim chirps as we walk over to Mr. Harris' class room for my conference. I was a little peeved to find out Ben didn't have to come now that the adoption was finalized, he had parents now so he didn't need a social worker.

"I guess you could say that." I mutter. Jim sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. I had the impressive ability to irritate Jim without actually doing anything.

"You could still get adopted Cameron, look at Benjamin, he's 17 and managed to get adopted. Granted it'll be short lived but it does happen." Ah. He thought I was being bitter towards Ben for getting out of the system while I still might age out of it.

"I know but he's a lot more…likeable?" I shrug. It was true Ben had always been warm hearted and I was glad his mom hadn't changed him. Ben's mom had been abusive and lost custody of him. Like me he had no other relatives to take him in so he'd been put into the system at the ripe age of 12.

"You can always change that Cameron." I shrugged again. I didn't want to have this argument with Jim again, he believed I had potential to be a better person and eventually get adopted. Jim sighed again and pulled Mr. Harris's door open.

"Alright let's get this party started." I quip as I brush past Jim.

"_Cameron." _Jim scolds.

"Ah, Mr. Kelly pleasure to meet you. Cameron, hello." Mr. Harris shakes Jim's hand and nods curtly at me before we settle into our seats.

"Likewise Mr. Harris." Jim smiles politely. Down to business.

"So what is there to say about Cameron?" Mr. Harris says with an awkward smile that made him look constipated. "Well for one thing, Cameron just be aware you can come to any of the staff if you need any personal help. Now, this is the part I'm going to have to ask you to step outside for a moment." I grumble inwardly and stalk to stand outside. Thankfully I could still hear them.

"Considering Cameron's situation I'm not surprised she keeps to herself most of the time when she isn't with Mr. O'Malley, yes she has friends but there seems to a disconnect between her and the people she meets. This isn't out of the ordinary considering she's constantly being moved around from foster home to foster home. And from what I gather from the guidance counselor, she never lives anywhere long enough to form any real connections."

"I know and I'm aware it isn't the best thing to put children through. It tampers with their psychological development along with their emotional development." How mentally messed up did Jim believe I was?

"I have seen her interact with Mr. O'Malley on multiple occasions and she does seem to open up, but with others she tries to flee the situation as quickly as possible." Did I actually do that? I didn't think so…

"Considering what happened to her parents Cameron has built up a shield for herself to compensate for the vulnerability she must have felt when she was younger." I shivered as Harris to profile me, so far it was pretty spot on. "This behavior, I'm sure you can see its wilting her, she feels guilty for what happened to her parents. It's what they call survivors guilt and because of it I see that she feels the need to risk herself for the benefit of others."

"Trust me, I'm well aware of the chip on her shoulder. It's half of the reason she hasn't been adopted yet." I winced at Jim's admission. I wasn't aware I was that much of a strain in Jim's career.

"But she does have her heart in the right place. It may be a little misguided but I'd believe she would do anything for those she cared about. I just hope she can be adopted soon." I could hear a shuffling of papers in the quick beat of silence. "I think it's about time to let Cameron back in."

Mr. Harris' footsteps grow nearer as he walks toward the door. "You may come back inside now." I got up from the spot on the floor I'd been sitting in and slipped back into my chair, which faced Mr. Harris. "Alright, moving onto your grades." Mr. Harris pulls out what looks to be my transcript out of a manila folder. "So seeing as you move around a lot, it's not surprising you would have been held back a year. I'm not saying it's a bad thing but no student wants to stay in school for longer than they need to. Your grades are average, B's and C's mostly. However I would recommend you work on raising you Chemistry grade. If you do the work and ask for help you can raise that D into an A."

Well shit.

"Well, we'll make sure she gets that grade back up." Jim says through a tense smile. There was no way around this one, Jim had to tell John my grades seeing as he was filling the role as a 'fatherly figure'. There would be no doubt I'd be 'disciplined' when I got home.

"Jim, _please_ don't tell them!" I plead as Jim walks ahead of me towards his car. Jim was currently sifting through his massive contact list looking for John's number to relate the information he'd been given at the conference.

"Cameron, they won't mind about the D in Chemistry. You heard you teacher, he's willing to work with you to bring it back up. They can't blame you for that." Oh but they could.

A scream interrupts our conversation. Out in the parking lot there is a swell of panic and anxiety as parents and students run to their cars. I wasn't sure what was going on but I had a feeling it had something to do with the Alpha.

"Cameron get back!" Jim shouted as he tried pulling me back. I dodged his grasp and instead of running away from the panic I ran right into it because I am such a freaking genius guys. Nobel Prize winner over here.

If the Alpha was here somewhere Scott must be stuck in the middle of it. I was pushed and shoved out of the way by fleeing parents as I tried searching for a familiar face. "Cammy?" I turn around to find myself face to face with Allison who was also weaving her was through the crowd. "Do you know what's going on?"

I survey the crowd trying to see exactly what everyone was running from. "You look over there I'll look over here." Allison calls to me though I'm not really paying attention to her.

"Allison!" A voice shouts causing me to whip my head around to see Allison frantically dodge a speeding car. Scott swiftly runs forward, hooking his arm around his girlfriend's waist and pull her away from being hit. I run towards my two friends.

"Are you alright?" Allison's mother and I both question. The brunette shook slightly as the adrenaline course through her.

"Yeah I'm okay, thanks to Scott." Allison smiles as she laces her fingers through his. Mrs. Argent nodded thankfully to Scott for saving her daughter. I wondered if she'd thank him if she knew what he was.

Two gunshots cut through the scream filled panic. It shouldn't have surprised me as much as it did to see Chris Argent wielding the gun responsible. The once panicked crowed circled the veteran werewolf hunter to find a slowly dying mountain lion. Scott and I shared a glance. We both knew seeing Chris with a gun really put things into perspective.

And it didn't hit me until the tense car ride home with Jim to realize the Alpha was behind this. The sneaky bastard was covering his tracks. The attacks and the tangible panic had all been blamed on a mountain lion. It was ingenious to corral the big cat in the school parking lot knowing it would get gunned down, thus making the town feel at ease. The Alpha used the death of the wild cat to alleviate any suspicion towards supernatural causes. So then was it safe to assume the Alpha was done killing?

I didn't realize we were at the house until Jim drew me out of my thoughts. "I know what happened back there must have drudged up some painful memories, but try to get some rest alright?"

"Yeah sure." It was sad to think I was safer in the parking lot with a distressed mountain lion instead of my foster home. I knew Jim had called John. I just worried how drunk John was, the more he drank the more dangerous he became. Jim and I quickly exchange our goodbyes before I slip out of the car and unwillingly walk through the front door. I almost think I could get past John, hoping he'd gone to sleep early but the stale stench of hard liquor told me otherwise.

"You're late." John says sitting expectantly in his recliner. He held a bottle of Jack Daniels firmly in his hand; the bottle was full before I left for school, it was virtually empty now. "Jim called; he said you were failing your classes."

"It's just one class. I can make up the grade." I answer weakly. John sets down the bottle and makes his way towards me which causes me to automatically stiffen.

"Oh I don't doubt that, I just can't believe you would have the nerve to live in my house, eat my food, and be a constant pain in my ass if you're failing your classes." John breathes his liquor laden breath in my face. "You don't do anything else so I don't see what's stopping you. Or have always been this big of a, a disappointment?"

"I-I'm sorry, I'll do better." I bow my head and try to move past him. If I agreed with him maybe he wouldn't try anything. But I am so completely and irrevocably wrong. John's hand snakes forward and yanks me back by my hair. I give out a yelp of pain as my body is jolted back by my hair.

"I didn't say we were done." John snarls as he grips me by shoulders and shoves me into the wall with a thud. His hand snakes itself back into the front of my hair pulling my head forward only to slam it back into the decorative mirror behind me, the mirror shattering from the impact. White spots dance across my vision, my knees buckle almost causing me to fall. Even through my throbbing, incoherent thoughts I know I can't let that happen, I'll lose in more ways than one if I let myself buckle and fall. I dodge a hit which only infuriates John more. Blow after blow my morale is crumbling. I had a sick feeling I might not walk away from this one. John stumbles slightly, it isn't much but I take the opportunity to kick John. I originally aimed for his crowned jewel but with the dark spots clouding my vision I kicked him in the thigh, sending him off kilter.

With every ounce of power I had, I run to the stairs, John had been blocking the front thus eliminating that as an exit route. I made it half way up the stairs before John's hand encircles my ankle and pulls my feet out from under me. My chin cracks down on the wooden step, the force of the impact cause me to bite down on my tongue, hard. The metallic tasting blood pools in my mouth. I swiftly turn my head and spit the mouthful of blood into John's face.

"You bitch!" He roars as he stumbles back, wiping my blood from his face. I use this momentary pause on his part to heave my aching body off the stairs and hobble up the remainder of the steps. I stumbled into my room and thrust the door shut but catching John's boot in the jam. "You've got nowhere to run to!" I repeatedly kick his foot, slowly but surely inching it back out from the jam. Finally the door slammed shut.

When I normally runaway I grab clothes, money anything of value, but this isn't a normal situation. This time I was running for my life. Essentially I was trapped unless I decided to jump from the window. The thundering blow to the door and string of swears made the decision for me. Acting on impulse I flipped up the latch and slid up the door. Any injuries I received from jumping from the second story window would be far less painful if I were to stay.

John kicks the door from its frame when I jump from the window. I brace myself for impact because it was going to hurt like a bitch if I tensed or relaxed. I fell landing on my back, the air knocking right out of my lungs as I rock back and forth in pain. It felt as if I'd broken every single bone in my body. I couldn't breathe or move without feeling a crippling spasm of pain. I coughed and sputtered trying to regain the oxygen back into my lungs. I reminded myself in vain it could be worse.

It could be worse.

I didn't want to get up I wanted to curl up in a ball but I couldn't do either of that. I at least owed it to myself to try and get up. As I eased myself onto my knees I saw most of the contents of my bag had spilled onto the side lawn of the house. I couldn't be bothered to pick any of it up because at the moment, getting myself far away from here was far more important. With shaky steps I run. I don't know where I'm going and I don't really care. Every fiber of my being screams at me to stop, to rest but I don't. I keep going, I keep running.

I don't know where I'm going but I'm not looking back.

* * *

**So this is part of what goes down with Cam and her foster parents, the rest will go down in the Halloween chapter! Because I feel like a horrible person for Camrek lacking but having them fight? Whaaat? To make up for that I kind of wrote a 'Special Chapter' that was originally going to be an AU for my tumblr but I got a little carried away.**

**Q: When will you be posting the Halloween chapter? Will it be on Halloween or sooner?**

**A: It's currently being written and I'm loving where its going (trying really hard to make it LONG.) It should go up after my Special Chapter but when is entirely up to the reviews I get to crank it out.**

**Q: Ben getting adopted?**

**A: Cameron is going to struggle with this because of her fear of loosing people. Her struggle with this will mainly be at the Bennett's because Ben will still end up going to Beacon so don't worry he's not going anywhere. So with that said Danny and him are still going strong, I kinda even have this headcannon Danny kinda misses Ben living with his family when he wasn't staying at the Bennett's.**

**GUUUYS I LIKE ME MY QUESTIONS. **


	12. Chapter 12

Derek was a lot of things. And if one thing was for certain, he was an asshole. If Derek was going to be honest with himself being it had benefitted him more than anything else he had to offer. His volatile and vindictive behavior had never bothered him until today. Reflecting on the fact he was indeed an asshole lead him shift his thoughts towards Cameron Bane. She had been the first to call him out on his spiteful behavior. And he silently relished in the fact she wasn't afraid to challenge him.

Derek would never admit it out loud to any other living soul but he actually did feel bad for snapping at Cameron, though he may have had a reason for doing so, it didn't involve her. It involved Kate Argent. Kate had been someone who Derek thought he was foolishly and blissfully in love with before she tried killing him several times over in the span of time they had known each other. Kate had a take charge kind of attitude her elder brother Chris lacked. Kate got things done and Derek had to admire that even if it killed his entire family. Kate had broken into the house she had set ablaze six years ago torturing answers out of him. And after learning his older sister Laura hadn't been killed by hunters but by the Alpha instead, Derek couldn't help but lash out at the first person he saw. Unfortunately that person had been Cameron.

Cameron. She was a topic all on her own. In the short time Derek had come to know the mysterious amber eyed girl he gathered she marched to the beat of her own drum, and Derek was beginning to enjoy that beat. Again, not that he'd ever admit it out loud. Like Kate, she too had a take charge kind of attitude, though not in the same aspects. Unlike Kate, Cameron's attitude didn't endanger his life but instead she had saved it. For a human she was quick on her feet and even quicker with decision making. Without that quality Derek wasn't sure if would have survived the wolfsbane poisoning if it hadn't been for her.

But Derek had done it again. Derek couldn't blame himself for being a creature of habit, and one of his bad habits was referring to humans as mediocre. Derek of all people should have known not to ever underestimate a human being. It wasn't a rouge Omega that burned his family alive. It wasn't a rival pack or even those blood sucking bastards he despised. No, it wasn't a 'supernatural' being that burned down his family home. It was humans that did that, but to be more specific they were hunters. But it only took once altercation, one death of a loved one for a human to become a hunter.

Maybe that was why he was so wary of Cameron. He had no idea what she was capable of, though Derek couldn't imagine Cameron saving his life only to screw him over in the future. Then again, he had naïvely assumed Kate had loved him back, but she didn't. Kate used him to get to know him and his family before killing everyone he loved.

But Cameron wasn't Kate.

Cameron was a mystery to him; it intrigued yet infuriated him to no end. Derek had always believe he was fairly decent at reading people, even before his first shift when he was thirteen years old but where Cameron Bane was involved his skills at reading people did not apply. Maybe it was because he couldn't get a grasp on her that made him want to know her, her ticks, her thought process, but most importantly her scars. Those four thin, pink scars are what made him feel like a raging dick in the first place. As he lashed out at her earlier today he had foolishly assumed Cameron had been handed a good life because she was human. Sadness, guilt and even shame crossed her face as she had looked down at the scars that had marred her stomach. What was worse, Derek had unknowingly taunted her with it when they had met.

Meeting Cameron at the Beacon Hills library had been no accident. He had followed her scent there; he followed it thinking it was Scott's. It was something in Cameron's scent that just wasn't _right_, it was human like he assured her it was, but not entirely. And that's why he needed a reason to spend a blip of time with her, to know her. So he easily descended the claws in his hand and, well, broke her only means of transportation. Derek had been taken aback by her eyes when he forcefully shook her awake and it only made him more suspicious of her. So Derek had offered the girl he barely knew a ride home, curious to see how she would react under the moon's direct light. She hadn't shifted but she did grow jittery and anxious, though he assumed it was nerves from being in a car with a complete stranger. Every encounter Derek shared with Cameron he was left with more questions than answers and Derek wanted answers.

Why were her eyes amber?

Why had she lied to Argent's daughter about her split lip?

What made her have such a disregard for her own life and safety?

And how did she get those scars?

It didn't matter that his plate was already full, between trying to find the Alpha, actively avoiding the hunters and helping Scott. Derek would get his questions answered. It didn't matter that knowing the answers wouldn't help him at all but Derek didn't like not knowing, he didn't like walking in blind. And being with Cameron was like being blinded with what you thought you knew and what you didn't.

Creaking wood on the front porch snapped Derek out of his thoughts. Normally he would chalk it down to the wind creaking the old and worn Hale house. Though today hadn't been a normal day, after his altercation with Kate, Derek's nerves had been on edge. Kate could very well be back to put a wolfsbane bullet between his eyes. Kate's scent was stale, so it couldn't have been her. It couldn't have been the wind because when did the wind begin to smell like cloves?

Derek eased himself out of his childhood bedroom and down the stairs, cringing when the stairs loudly groaned against his weight. Whoever was here scuffled to open the extra crispy front door. Derek could see a small figure hunched over themself desperately gasping for air. It wasn't a threat, just a very unwelcomed intruder.

"This is private property. You're not supposed to be here." Derek snapped at the intruder. He didn't care if he was being harsh. Derek was sickened when he returned to California eager to find his older sister Laura only to find her body in pieces and his home littered with red solo cups from teenaged parties.

"Slick?" Derek stiffened at the voice. He knew that infuriating nickname anywhere, this wasn't just some intruder. It was Cameron.

"Cameron? What are you doing here?" Realizing Cameron was here, in his home caused him to tap into his heightened senses. Her heart rate was sporadic and beating a little too fast. Derek could feel her fear and panic radiate off of her and he couldn't explain why he irrationally wanted to destroy who made her this afraid. Fear wouldn't be an emotion he would associate with Cameron. She wasn't afraid of him and what he was, she wasn't afraid when she was attacked at the video store, hell her heart rate didn't uptick at the thought of being bitten.

"I-I'm sorry… I, I didn't think anyone else would be here. I can…I'll go." Derek watches as Cameron pushes herself of the wall, purposely allowing her long dark hair over face. Her movement was small but Derek was able to pick up a scent. He picked up the spicy scent of cloves but that wasn't all he was able to smell. Derek picked up on the scent of bruised flesh and blood.

Derek easily crossed the distance between them disabling her tensing muscles from fleeing. "What happened?" Derek couldn't explain why he felt… so over protective over this girl, he just was. Cameron wouldn't meet Derek's eyes, with her bowed head more of her long tresses fell over her face.

"I'm fine." Her heart rated blipped, Cameron was lying to him. Derek carefully brushed her hair behind her ear, she was hiding something and he would find out just what that was. "Derek, Der- stop!" Derek didn't listen even as her voice cracked with her pleas. With her hair pushed out of her face Derek's jaw clenched when he was met with a swollen purple welt on her right cheek.

"Who did this?" Derek asked his voice dangerously low. If Derek wanted to destroy who made Cameron afraid, he would mangle whoever it was who had harmed her.

"It's not that bad." She whispers, finally meeting his eye.

"Have you even seen yourself? What the hell happened? Tell me who the hell did this to you." Derek was growing frustrated. Was Cameron unaware of how horrible she looked? Derek was just so furious he almost lost control.

"Please, I… it's not bad I just… need a place to crash." Cameron was asking if she could stay, asking to stay the night with Derek. With the way Cameron nuzzled her cheek into the hand Derek forgot was cupping her face. All Derek could do was nod yes. They stayed like for a beat longer than necessary, closer than they should have been but neither made the first move to separate. Derek didn't know how long they would have stayed like that if Cameron hadn't buckled under her own weight.

Derek luckily caught her by the waist before she could fall. "I- sorry." Derek watched as Cameron's cheeks flushed pink as he gripped her waist tighter to steady her. He hated that she felt so small, so meek.

"You're okay."

"I was wondering if I could get cleaned off?" Cameron questioned softly. It was then Derek realized her face and body was smudged with dirt. Cameron's clothes stained with splotches of her own blood.

"Sure, I'll be right back with a bucket." Derek felt slightly embarrassed, he was living in his childhood home that was burned down because he just _couldn't_ let go, even if it meant living without electricity, running water or even heat. Any water Derek needed would be pumped from the well not far from the Hale house.

"Okay, I'll be here." Cameron slowly eased herself on a stair to rest on. Derek slipped out of the front door to get a bucket of water. There was no doubt the water would be freezing at this time of night, but there wasn't much he could do about that. With a bucket of well water in tow Derek returned to find Cameron hadn't moved, but he was surprised to find her puffing on a cigarette. Now he knew why she consistently smelled like cloves. She removed the cigarette from her mouth, smoke billowing past her lips.

"There's bathroom upstairs." Cameron nodded and quickly stomped out the cigarette with the bottom of her boot. Derek moved past her as he climbed up the stairs not really bothering to see if she was following him. The only decent bathroom in the decimated house was in Derek's en suite bathroom. Derek set the metal bucket on the bathroom counter with a clank.

"Thank you." Cameron's small voice said as she stepped forward only to stop awkwardly. "Um… can I borrow some clothes?" Derek's brows quirked upward with surprise but nodded yes anyway. He grabbed a pair of basketball shorts and a grey Henley and quickly tossed it her way. He hastily left Cameron to herself to get cleaned off.

Derek made his way downstairs, still listening in on Cameron to make sure she was still okay. As of right now she was struggling to get changed as her muscles protested in pain. God did Derek need a drink. As Derek poured himself a large glass of Whiskey he heard the buzzing of a cellphone.

"Hey Benj, what's up?" Cameron's voice questioned. Derek listened intently, not feeling guilty in the slightest. Derek could hear Cameron hiss in pain. "Hmm? No nothing's wrong."

"Yeah he dropped me off but I didn't stay long. Where am I staying? Yeah, I'm staying the night with Lyd." Cameron was covering for herself and if her heartbeat didn't defy her Derek would have believed she was telling the truth. She hissed again. "No Ben, I'm fine. I promise. You know how Lydia is she's torturing the hell out of me with all the beauty crap."

"Yeah, love you too. Bye." Cameron had gone silent the only sound he could hear was the sloshing of water. "Son of bitch!" She hissed again. Derek decide he better check on Cameron, you know to make sure she was okay.

Derek hadn't realized how quite he had been until he entered the room and Cameron was still oblivious to his presence. He would have made a sound to make himself known if he hadn't been watching Cameron with morbid fascination. There she stood clad in just his grey Henley (Derek desperately tried to ignore the fact it barely reached mid-thigh) stitching the back of her forearm. Derek was instantly reminded of the day she picked the bullet out of his arm.

"_Don't worry, I've done this before."_

He hadn't thought much of the comment until now. Is this what she meant by it?

"Well, this is as good as it's going to get." She mutters as she inspects her work. Cameron picks up the shorts off of the counter and slips into them. A thoughtful look settles on her face as she lifts up her borrowed shirt to examine her scars. Maybe Derek should have taken the time to shamelessly to scrutinize the scars but he was too focused on her back. Black bruises were peppered across her skin.

Cameron dropped the bunched up fabric as she let her arms fall to her side. Derek watched as she rolled her shoulders back, the confidence he was used to seeing her with filling her. "I'm a good person," She said to herself as she looked at herself in the mirror. Her shoulders sagged once more in defeat. "Who only has bad tendencies." Derek frowned in confusion; it was almost as if she was saying it not to remind her self but to make her believe her own words. If you say something to yourself for long enough it must become true, right?

"You done?" Derek questions causing Cameron to jump.

"Easy there Slick, wouldn't want to give me a heart attack now would you?" Cameron smirked as her hand clamped over her frantic heart. Derek rolled his eyes, figures she would quickly abandon the vulnerability the second he made himself known. So much for getting answers.

Cameron pushed past him and trotted down the stairs. Derek followed after immensely agitated yet amused, he watched as Cameron worked her way around the house. When she plopped down on floor, crossing her legs she looked up at him expectantly. If Derek was going to play babysitter realized he would need a lot more than just one drink. He'd need the entire bottle.

As Derek poured himself another glass he glanced over at Cameron who was staring at the bottle of Whiskey, hungrily licking her lips. Derek just may have found a way to make this night run a littler smoother. "You want some?" Derek asked tipping the lip of the bottle in her direction. Cameron held out her arm, nodding vehemently. As Derek handed the bottle he watched as Cameron hesitated before taking several long swigs of the hard liquor.

It took twenty minutes for the liquor to take effect. Cameron was lying flat one her back swaying her legs to a beat only she knew. Though, she had drained half the bottle to get to this point. Derek could feel the relaxation radiate off of her and into him. He could hear her ever tensed muscles flex with relief. Derek wanted to be as relaxed as the wild child before him, so he pushed himself off of the singed couch and laid next to her on the floor. Cameron picked up the pack of clove cigarettes and hand him the pack. Derek plucked a single cigarette from the pack and snatched the lighter that was resting on her stomach.

"You're not such a stiff after all Slick." Cameron smirks as she watches him puff on the cigarette.

"How did you even find this place?" Derek asks looking over Cameron who was propped up by her elbow taking another long gulp of liquor. She shrugged as she pulled the bottle from her lips.

"I found it when I went running in the beginning of the week." Derek seemed satisfied enough with the answer and decided to leave it at that. "It reminded me of my childhood home, so I thought…maybe."

"You thought what?" Derek questions.

"I don't really know, I was hoping I'd remember something."

"Remember what exactly?"

"I don't really remember anything before six years old." Derek didn't know what to say to that. So he did what he did best and ignored it. A content silence falls over the two. Derek lulls his head to the side watching as Cameron's expression turns surprisingly thoughtful.

"Why do bad things happen to really good people?" Derek couldn't help but snort.

"You're asking the wrong person." Derek bitterly muttered. Derek asked himself the same question every day.

"Not everyone understands y'know?" Derek had no idea what Cameron was talking about but he listened attentively anyway. "And I know it was my fault, but still. Losing them it was like losing a limb and without that limb you question whether you'll ever feel whole again. You question whether the numbing feeling in your chest will never go away. And if ever goes away you wouldn't know what to do because you're never really normal again after it happened."

"Why are you telling me this?" Derek questions softly.

Cameron looks over at Derek with a small, sad smile. "Because you understand what I'm talking about." He watches as Cameron props herself up again, pulling off the thin chain around her neck. "You asked about this a while ago." She handed the chain over to him. Derek couldn't help but feel this was a rare thing for Cameron to do. He may not know Cameron but he was smart enough to understand this was her safety blanket. He had gathered as much when he returned the 'lost' necklace to her, Cameron's heartbeat nearly stopped altogether when her hand reached for her neck only to come up empty.

"I've had it for as long as I could remember." Cameron bit her lip as if she were stopping herself from saying something else.

"These are your parent's wedding bands?" It wasn't really a question, he just wondered _why_ she had them in the first place.

"Yeah, I've worn it since they died." Derek's attention snapped from the necklace to its owner. "My parent's ran a wolf sanctuary in Washington. I don't really remember much from that day but I do know it was my fault. There was this room that I was never allowed to go in and the door was open that day… and then I wake up a week later in ICU with these as a constant reminder." Cameron pats her side where her scars reside.

"A wolf killed your parents?" Derek questioned in disbelief. How much post-traumatic stress had the three resident werewolves inflict on Cameron on a daily basis?

"The Alpha of the pack." Of course it was.

"How old were you?"

"I was six. After I was discharged two weeks after waking up, I was put into foster care." All of Derek's questions were getting answered without having to actually ask. And it all made sense to Derek, it explained why she was so guarded.

"Was it your adoptive parents that did this to you?" Derek asked referring to the severe beating.

"I'm too fucked up to actually get adopted." Cameron snorts as she lays back down. "My drunken foster 'parent' did this."

"He's a drunk but you're here getting drunk?" Derek questions, not seeing the logic in Cameron's thinking.

"This isn't me drunk, you'll know when I'm drunk." Cameron pulls out a cigarette and clenches it between her teeth. "Besides he drinks to forget, I drink to die." Derek watches as she chuckles to herself as she ignites the cigarette.

"What about you Slick, what's your story? Derek could be honest with Cameron, like she had been with him. He could tell her about Kate and how she trusted him, only to have it bite him in the ass. But he couldn't, he wanted some else to know because the weight of this secret was slowly crushing him but he just couldn't. "I mean why would you come back here? Live here? When your family died in here? I mean I'm not judging by any means, I wear my dead parent's wedding bands for God's sake but I don't know if I could ever go back to the sanctuary."

"After the fire, my sister Laura and I drifted apart. I was going to school in New York working on getting teaching credentials when Laura calls out of nowhere saying she was figuring something out. I decided to take a break this semester and come back here to help her out. Instead, I ended up burying her severed body."

"So when this Alpha thing is over with are you going to go back to New York and become Professor Hale?" Derek chuckled already regretting telling he wanted to be a teacher. At least there was another infuriating pet name he could add to the growing list Cameron had for him.

"Honestly? I haven't really thought about it." It was true, right now Derek wasn't planning his future after the Alpha issue was resolved. He was only planning for the now because being a Beta trying to kill an Alpha was next to impossible, so he'd be lucky if he survived this.

"I hope you do." Derek glanced over at buzzed teenager feeling slightly… snubbed. "I think after all the shit we've been through. We deserve at least some happiness right?"

"Yeah, yeah we do."

Derek wasn't sure how long they laid like that, just talking as they lay on the family room floor. When they polished off the bottle of Whiskey they began chain smoking what was left of the pack of cigarettes. Derek had to admit he felt good, he hadn't felt this good in a long time. And Cameron was a large part of that, helping him feel better.

Derek had been able to get a lot off of his chest tonight, things he'd never told anyone else before. And he liked that he could speak freely without feeling pitied or judged. Derek had been in the middle of explaining how Cameron reminded him of his younger sister Cora who had died at the age of eleven in the fire. He even told her if she'd been alive today they might have gotten along great, that they'd be better friends than the prissy redheaded girl and Argent's daughter combined.

Derek turned to Cameron to get her thoughts on it but instead of finding her intently listening like she had all night, he found her tightly curled up in a ball fast asleep. He sighed smiling down at her, she looked even more relaxed than before if that was even possible. The werewolf sat up and scooped the sleeping girl in his arms and carried her up the stairs to his bedroom. Derek lightly kicked the door open with his foot, Derek's childhood bedroom was by no means exempt from the fire that destroyed his home, but it was the only bedroom with a usable mattress. Cameron winced as he carefully eased her onto the bed. It had slipped Derek's mind as to how much pain Cameron was in.

The werewolf knew he had the capability of taking away that pain. Derek could heal her by taking some of her pain. The thought of healing her made Derek irrationally nervous. He hadn't healed anyone but himself since he was sixteen years old, Derek wondered if he could even heal anyone anymore. But if he could help her, he should right?

Derek nudged Cameron to the center of the bed so there was enough room for him to sit at the edge of the bed. He nervously licked his lips as he took her small hand in his large one. With her hand in his he concentrated on what he wanted, he focused on taking her pain to make her better, to make her stronger. The spidery veins in his arm turned black as he took on her pain. Derek watched as the welt on her slowly cheek disappear as if she was never harmed in the first place.

When Derek dropped her hand he suddenly felt sore and dizzy from taking on her pain. Had she really felt like this while they had been talking? Derek felt as if he'd been hit by a bus or pushed out of a building. His werewolf healing abilities had barely started to heal himself as he passed out from exhaustion.

XX

Derek awoke with slight horror to find his arm protectively draped over Cameron as she slept. How had that happened? When Derek slept, he often slept like a rock. Never budging and never moving. So Derek was nothing but surprised when he found Cameron encased in his arms. Her back pressed into his chest.

Even though Derek was surprised, he was pleasantly surprised. He noticed Cameron had an aversion towards being touched or getting too close to anyone. And if Derek wanted to get technical they'd gotten closer in more ways than one. In a strange way, it made Derek feel like he accomplished a challenging feat.

But that didn't make _this_ okay. Cameron wasn't his to feel protective over; his only obligation to her was to make sure the Alpha never came near her. He shouldn't be pleased to wake up and find them like this. Derek shouldn't have this nagging pit in his stomach telling him Cameron would only be safe with him, just like this because she wasn't everyone he ever cared about got hurt. And yes, maybe Derek was jumping the gun by assuming Cameron had feelings for him but if he nipped it in the bud now he could save them both from some added heartache they really didn't need. Derek could honestly admit he didn't have the warm and fuzzies towards Cameron, if anything had just made it to the 'friends' part of this dysfunctional relationship.

And it really didn't matter because Cameron _wanted_ Derek to go back to New York to be happy, which meant both of their happiness's were two completely separate entities. So Derek did the only logical thing he could do, he tried pulling his arm away from Cameron without waking her. The sleeping girl sighed heavily and sleepily laced her fingers through his.

She was sleeping. It didn't mean anything.

Derek used a little more force to remove his hand from Cameron's grip. When Derek had finally eased of the bed he notice Cameron went from comfortably stretched out on the bed to curled back into the tight ball she had fallen asleep in. As quietly as Derek could manage he made his way downstairs to sleep on the burnt couch in the family room.

Derek was lulled back to sleep by the sound of Cameron's slowed heart rate as she slept upstairs. It still didn't mean anything and Derek would continue to stand by that. They were just two wandering souls whose demons played well with one another and when their roles in each other's lives came to an end they would continue what they did best. Wander aimlessly with no direct destination.

Derek was certain nothing would come from it.

Nothing at all.

But now Derek was certain of two things. One being he was a complete and utter asshole, not that he particularly minded. The second thing Derek was certain of was Cameron was not his final destination in life. And he would never be Cameron's.

And Derek didn't dare question how he felt about it.

* * *

**I was so anxious to post this chapter because it is in Derek's POV. This is the surprise chapter that was supposed to be an AU chapter for my tumblr but I got to long and I had a lot of fun writing it so here you go. If you liked this kind of chapter and you'd like to see MORE of Derek's perspective leave a review! And was this too OOC for Derek or was did I do him some justice?**

**I love all of you that review/follow/favorite. It gives me a little pep in my step.**

**The Halloween Chapter is up next for the line up OMG. **

**Alright so on to the questions!**

**Q: Will Cameron's abusive past be made know to everyone?**

**A: Probably not because it's not something she'd want everyone to know about because Cameron is so guarded and know that about her is knocking down a big wall Cameron has set up. A few others will find out because they _have_ to know.**

**Q: Does Cameron get adopted?**

**A: It'll be an uphill battle for Cameron but if I don't change my storyline too much, yes she does! :)**

**Q: Why does her foster parents feel its okay to physically/emotionally abuse Cameron.**

**A: I wanted this to be as accurate as I could possibly make it and sadly a lot of foster homes are like this. To most foster parents they house the kids for the money and they pack up to six kids in one house just to get as much as they can. John abuses Cameron because he sees her as his object and Cameron doesn't help with that because she lets it happen. Cameron doesn't tell her social worker what happens to her because it may be bad living with the Bennetts but she could live somewhere so much worse.**

**Q: Will Cameron end up living with Lydia?**

**A: That route for Cam never really crossed my mind to be honest. I absolutely love their dynamic so much it surprises me because I never planned on them being this close. OH WELL! But I don't know how well they'd work living together I think after a while they'd want to strangle each other. But I'm glad you're loving them just as much as I am!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Songs for this chapter:**

**Suavemente- Elvis Crespo (Danny and Cam dance song)**

**Withdrawl- Kimbra (Camerk song)**

* * *

It had been two weeks since the 'incident' and as time passed I felt even more mortified than I had been before. Only I would be so stupid as to spill my guts to a guy I barely knew while in a drunken, vulnerable state. I had told Derek _everything_ and it felt so good to tell someone without being pitied or judged. Derek didn't make idiotic comments, he just listened. And in Derek's content listening I had told him things I had never even told Ben about. After getting what I needed off of my chest I would have been satisfied to have left our one sided heart to heart at that, but I had gotten Derek talking about his past as well.

Before that night I wanted Derek to talk. He was a mystery wrapped up with a pretty brooding bow and I wanted nothing more than to unravel the ribbon. But in hindsight, I should have realized seeing a vulnerable Derek would be detrimental to my own wellbeing. I always believed you could fall in love with anyone if you got see the parts of them no one else got to see. Like how Derek's face seemed to light up when he spoke of his studies in New York, the fondness he held for his late sisters, but the one moment that had really tugged on my heartstrings wasn't even a conscious decision for Derek.

Thinking back to that night, I didn't even remember falling asleep let alone going upstairs, but I'd blissfully fallen to a dreamless sleep. With the liquor that had been pulsing through my veins at the time I felt utterly relaxed, when I was relaxed I often stretched out and moved around. I remembered waking up to find Derek's arm wrapped around me, pulling my back into his chest. If I were to be honest with myself I had to admit it was a nice, warm feeling. It wasn't constricting or encasing, it was warm and inviting. But I knew if Derek had been awake this wasn't something he would have done so I tried wiggling out of his arms, only to have him tighten his grip on me. So I stayed like that, not because I had feelings for Derek but because him being there felt nice. It felt safe.

But why did it feel like so much more than that?

As you can imagine rejection stung hot when I awoke the next morning alone in the Hale house. Completely alone. Derek had taken off to God knows where while I made the walk of shame to Lydia's house, who by the way was not pleased to see me so early in the morning but so eager to invite me in upon realizing I was clad in Derek's clothes. Though I had lied and said they were Ben's, Lydia had been gracious enough to not call me out on my lie.

Werewolves are still major bags of dicks.

But luckily I'd been able to push Derek to the back burner seeing as I was forcibly being submerged in everything Halloween.

"So I was thinking of throwing a Halloween party Friday." Allison announces to our lunch table as she attentively nibbled on a carrot stick. "It was my Aunt Kate's idea, so…"

"Wait _you're _going to throw the Halloween party?" Lydia squawks. "Allison! Halloween is _this _Friday and you're going to have a perfectly planned party by then?"

"That is where you come in. Do you think you could help me plan it?" Allison asks with a sheepish smile. Lydia rolls her eyes but agrees anyhow because Lydia can't say no to a leadership role. As they swapped ideas for party decorations and costumes I realized I had nothing to contribute to this conversation.

"Yeah, I was thinking Scott and I could wear like a couple's costume." Allison gushed with a big smile.

"But you should totally dress up as Alice from Alice in Wonderland!" Lydia whined childishly.

"What about you Cammy?"

"I've never done anything for Halloween before." I mused as I stared down at the table in thought. "Maybe when I was little… but other than that no I never really dressed up." I look up to find my companions exchange a look.

"Well then we're going to make this Halloween worth remembering." Lydia says with a confident nod of her head.

"Invite whoever you want too." Allison smiles. Oh the possibilities.

The news about the party spread like wildfire, but I was sure Lydia was to thank for that. Beacon's resident gay couple cornered me on the way to fifth period Algebra. Both Ben and Danny slung their arms around my shoulders.

"Please tell me you're going to dress up as Grace Faraday for Allison's party?" Ben questions as he squeezes my shoulder.

"Now why would I do that?" I ask curiously.

"Ben wants us to have matching themed costumes for the party. Me as Al Capone, Ben as Mickey Cohen and you as Grace."

"God you two are so gay." I roll my eyes as both boys scoff. "Besides I already kind of have a costume."

"Wait what are you dressing up as?" Ben questions with a deepening frown.

"Well, Allison's Aunt is kind of letting borrow her Little Red costume, and you know how the saying goes, don't bite the hand that feeds you." I shrug.

"But they're not feeding you?" Danny observes with a thoughtful frown.

"Nobody asked for a correction Leap Year, your three year old mind can't comprehend what I'm trying to say." Danny rolled his eyes, actively regretting telling me he was a leap year baby. Ben shot me a look. "Fine don't bite the hand that gives you free clothes for Halloween parties."

"So you're still going to dress up as Little Red or what?" Danny asks whilst bumping his hip against mine.

"Yeah, I don't want to be a third wheel for a costume idea."

"Whore."

"Yeah, thanks Danny I'm a whore because I don't want to dress up as a sophisticated prostitute." I sarcastically retort. I shove their arms off of my shoulders and make my way to math, my own personal hell. "Save me a dance Danny boy!" I quickly call over my shoulder.

After school let out I was talked into going shopping for Halloween decorations with Lydia and Allison, though it wasn't like I had a say in the matter. I was going regardless of what I wanted. The three of us piled into Lydia's Beetle and drove to _Spirit_, the nearest Halloween store. I assume there would be a level of seriousness with Lydia's one track mind planning priorities but I was sorely mistaken.

Currently we had half a cart full of fake spider webs, dead bodies, and a big plastic cauldron. But at the moment we were currently playing 'who can find the ugliest mask' game and I was winning.

"Oh! How about this costume!" Allison squeals as she throws down the pig mask she was hold for a plastic package costumes. It had been the most modest Alice in Wonderland costume we'd seen so far, the only thing making it considered sexy was the knee high socks.

"It's short enough to get Scott's mind going." Lydia observes with a coy smile. "And the socks will play into his hormonal fantasies."

"I still think you should be the sexy banana peel so if you and Scott get freaky he has an easy access zipper."

"You guys are horrible people." Allison scolds as she throws the package in the cart.

"I know it keeps me up most nights." I deadpan. "But hey you can make Scott dress up as the Mad Hatter if you're Alice."

Allison rolls her eyes and turns to Lydia. "So what are you dressing up as?"

"Unlike you two, I've already had my costume planned and prepped for about a month now. It's going to stay a surprise until the party." Even with clothes Lydia Martin was a tease.

"So I guess were done here then?" Allison questions as she motions around the store. We nodded and followed as Allison pushed the cart to the check-out to pay for her purchase. This Halloween party was starting to turn into a haunted house attraction with all the shit Allison was buying.

After Lydia dropped off Allison we drove back to the Bennett residence so I could also get dropped off. I honestly thought I would never come back here but I had nowhere else to go. Normally I would have hopped on a bus and never look but now I had to look back because leaving here meant leaving Ben behind.

"So, will Mr. Grey Henley be coming to the party?" Lydia turned to me with a smirk playing on her mouth.

"No, he's not. Were just friends."

"So just friends walk off school campus arm in arm?" I turn to Lydia with obvious shock on my face.

"Allison said…?"

"Sweetheart I saw it with my own eyes. He's a cutie by the way." Lydia praises with a wink as she parks her car in the driveway.

"It's not like that." My reminders went unheard yet again.

"Invite him to the party and show him what Little Red really has in her goody basket." I could feel my cheeks burn hot with the thought of Lydia's suggestion. "Or just bail on the party and show up on his doorstep with nothing but the red cape."

"And what exactly would I do if he slams the door in my face?" I ask unbuckling my seatbelt.

"Then he's a loser and we don't associate ourselves with losers."

Sometimes Lydia's simple logic when it came to guys was so refreshing and worth listening to. If only she could help with my dilemma with John Bennett. After what happened on the night of the Parent-Teacher's conferences John had been eerily calm. He hadn't mentioned it so I was willing to bet John had been too hammered to remember, but our situation was much like a pressure cooker. With all the building pressure it would eventually explode.

XX

"Hey Cameron can I talk to you for a second?" Scott asks slipping into the seat next to me. I'd gone to English early for a reason, for some quite time to finish an essay I clearly didn't want to do.

"I think you're time frame just passed, sorry Fido." I quip not looking up from my loose leaf paper of nonsense. What was a good transition word? Fuck.

"It's about Allison's party. She wants to do couple costumes but she's dressing up as the Alice, how am I going to find a costume for the Mad Hatter?"

I set down my pencil and turn in my chair to face Scott with pursed lips. "The Halloween store might be a good bet?"

"But there all sold out!" Scott's exclaims. I scratch at my brow in annoyance.

"Well which version of the Hatter do you want to be?"

Scott's eyes widen in panic, "Wait, there's more than one version?"

"Yeah there's the creepy Tim Burton remake or the original cartoon one by Disney." How did I know this and Scott didn't? Did Lycanthropy inhibit one from watching TV?

"Which one will impress Allison more?"

"Tim Burton's."

Scott quickly pulled out his phone and begun googling picture of Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter. After looking at several pictures the teen wolf groans in frustration.

"How am I going to find a costume for that?" Scott looks at me with pleading eyes hoping I'd help him.

"Go to Goodwill, idiot."

"Do you think you could help me? I want this to be good." I roll my head back with a groan.

"Fine." I say as the bell rings. Son of a bitch! I didn't finish my essay!

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Scott proclaims pulling me into an awkward hug I didn't reciprocate. "My mom let me use the car so I can drive."

"Drive where?" Allison questions as she sets her books down looking please to see us talking.

"I…Uh…we." Scott stutters trying to come up with a believable lie. Real slick Scotty.

"What genius is trying to say it he's giving me a ride home, like a one sided car pool."

Allison smiles affectionately at her boyfriend. "That's so sweet Scott!" Scott shrugs nonchalantly as if to say 'I try'.

The five minute grace period passed announcing the beginning of first period English. Throughout the period I actively avoided the gaze of my very pissed of English teacher, Mr. Maganzini, Mags for short. Apparently I had been the only one in our period to not turn in a paper. Oops.

When the period ended I didn't bother waiting for Allison to pack up her belongings. Instead I hightailed my ass out of room 221 to save myself from a severe reprimanding from my bipolar English teacher. Once I decided I was a far enough distance away from the classroom I backtracked my way to the library. Allison said I could invite anyone I wanted and there was one wallflower I wanted to see there.

"Hey Isaac," I smile as I lean against the library's checkout counter. "what's up?"

"Oh you know stacking shelves." Isaac shrugs glancing as the over flowing cart of returned books. "It's a glamorous life."

Sadly I think I was the only person to take the time to notice Isaac was actually really funny. "Well when you're done with your glamor work come to Allison's par-"

"Bane, where did you get your contacts?" Jackson's smug voice demanded.

"Excuse you pretty boy, I'm with a friend so fuck off." Isaac snorted as he resumed scanning barcoded.

"You think that's funny Lahey? How funny is it going to be when-" Before Jackass could finish whatever half-assed threat I swiftly kick him in the shin. "Really? That's mature."

"I didn't tell you to stop puffing out your chest, it doesn't make you looked cool. Plus you just deserved it." I shrug crossing my arms over my chest. "Now what do you want?"

"I need to find yellow contacts for my costume." Jackson had the tendency to clench his jaw and turn away when he didn't want to admit to something. To my pleasure, he was doing it now.

"What are you dressing up as?" A cat-killed-the-canary smiled tugged at the corners of my lips.

"You'll find out at the party, now tell me where you got yours." Did this asshat really think I wore colored contacts? Why in anyone's right mind would they wear _yellow _colored contacts? Jackson clearly wasn't the brightest crayon in the box.

"Oh but I want to know now, don't you Isaac?" I turn expectantly to the curly haired boy hoping he'll play along. Isaac bobbed his head slightly trying to keep a grin off of his face.

"O-oh sure."

"I'm not telling unless you do Whitty." Jackson rolled his eyes in an agitated manner clenching his teeth so hard I was sure they would break.

"Edward Cullen." Jackson admits in a rushed, whispered voice. I throw my head back laughing, Jackson Whittemore was so fucking whipped. "Now tell me where you got the stupid contact."

"So you're still going to be a douche bag?" I snort at the lacrosse player's sheer stupidity. "Oh and I don't wear colored contacts you idiot."

Whatever snide comment Jackson was about to make gets swallowed down as he balls his fists and walks out of the library. "Have a good day!" I sweetly call after him.

I hope up on to the counter purposely preventing Isaac from scanning anymore books. "So as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, you should come to Allison's party on Friday."

"She didn't invite me and I don't, I wouldn't want to be rude." Isaac shrugs as he stacks the books that could be re-shelved into a nice pile.

"You dummy I'm inviting you! Allison said I could invite anyone I wanted so I am therefore requesting to see that mug of yours at the party."

"I don't have a costume anyways so…"

"Tough shit, wear your lacrosse uniform and tote around a football. No one is going to call you out on it."

"No one is going to want me there." Isaac said ducking his shyly avoiding my gaze. What the hell happened to this poor kid? Most of the time he though no one wanted him around and the other half was spent trying to stay out of his peer's way.

"I want you there, so come. I'm not saying you have to dance or even drink, just come and have fun." Isaac smiles one of his rare smiles making me hopeful he'd say yes. "Hey, even bring a date."

Isaac's eyes widen with shock and his smile falters. "Oh, well the girl I like is already going with someone."

"Oh that sucks balls, who's this broad I'll punch her in the throat, no I'll punch the guy in the dick because she's not going with you."

"She's going with Jackson." Isaac muttered glumly. Oh. _Oh._

"You like Lydia?" I shriek shrilly in surprise only to be shushed by the old librarian trying to tutor a student. "Sorry." I whisper shout dodging the glare the old woman shot me.

"I'll still punch Jackson in the dick if that means you'll come. You can bring another cute girl to the party. Maybe you could ask that Jessica girl, from Chemistry?" I wasn't sure why I wanted Isaac to come so badly, I knew it wasn't his idea of fun but I just wanted him there. I was far away from Isaac considering me a friend but he was mine. He reminded me of what Ben saw in me when we first met, the only difference being I was reckless and wild and Isaac was timid and quite.

"Will you go with me? As friends?" Isaac catches my eye before turning away quickly. "Or you know, um if you already have a date, I could say hi and… I don't know." Isaac catches the look of surprise on my face turn into a broad smile.

"Yeah sure, I was planning on going stag but if you want to be partners in crime, I'm in." I hopped of the counter sending a mock salute in Isaac's direction, "I'll meet you there at 8?"

"Sure thing." Isaac nods quickly. "I'll see you there."

"Alrighty, I'll see you in Chem. Until then don't get any trouble without me." With that I march out of the library more than happy I had convinced Isaac Lahey, Beacon's resident wallflower to come to a party. Now he had no choice but to be my friend.

After school I met up with Scott to help him find the pieces of his Mad Hatter costume. Honestly if I had known Scott was such a girl when it came to clothes I wasn't so sure if I would have said yes. We'd been holed up in the local Goodwill for the past 40 minutes trying to find something Scott would approve of.

"I look stupid." Scott complained shrugging off the third worn brown blazer he'd tried on today. I watched with palpable annoyance as he threw the blazer with the other discarded ones in the 'no' pile.

"Scott, we've been here for an hour just _pick something._ I'm begging you please. Allison won't care if it isn't perfect." I groan falling backwards on the seating cushion I'd been sitting on.

"I care! This has to be perfect!" Scott exclaims as he scavenges through the racks for another worn brown blazer. Scott's need to please his girlfriend was staggering.

"It's the Mad Hatter. Do you really think he took a break from his mental insanity to make sure his patterns and colors matched?"

"Well no but I still want to not look like an idiot." Scott held up a puke green blazer for me to see. "How about this?" I scrunch my nose up in distaste in way of answering.

"This is hopeless you know that right?" Scott needed to let go of the fact he wasn't going to look perfect. The sooner he embraced this thought, the more fun he would have being the Mad Hatter.

"Then help me!" Scott pleaded. I sighed as I heaved myself off the cushioned seat. I gave Scott's attempt at a costume a quick once over before deciding to scrape the whole thing. I wandered around the second hand store picking up bits and pieces for his costume. So far I'd grabbed brown tartan trousers, a white button down with ruffles on the chest, lace up boots, and a purple silk scarf.

"Go try this on while I go look for a blazer." Scott nodded his thanks as he made his way to the dressing rooms. So many brown blazers and Scott hated every single one. I began looking through the other colored blazers hoping to find one I liked. I stopped once I came across the navy blue ones; one in particular caught my eye. The blazer navy velvet, it was so tacky it was perfect.

Scott walked out of the dressing room donning his Halloween garb. "Okay so all I need now is a top had and the blazer. By the way what's the scarf for?" I roll my eyes and quickly snatch the scarf he was holding up. I pop up the collar of the button down and tie it off in a bow.

"There you dork." I pick up the blazer again and hand it to Scott who stared at the velvet skeptically. "Try this one on." Scott took the blazer from me and slipped it on. I watched as he smiled happily as he inspected the final product in the full length mirror. "This is great! Now if we could only find a hat."

I looked around. Spotting a brown top hat that reminded me vaguely of the original Willy Wonka's on a bare mannequin. I held up a finger telling Scott to give me a moment to snatch up the hat. The hat was so perfect it was sad really. I hurried back to wear Scott was waiting impatiently.

"Now why is a raven like a writing desk?" I ask standing on my tippy toes to place the hat on Scott's head. Scott shrugged frowning in confusion.

"I don't know why is a raven like a writing desk?"

A smile tugs at the corners of my mouth. "I haven't the slightest idea."

XX

It was finally Friday and I was excited. I hadn't been this excited since, well since anything I've done that wasn't legal. So basically a lifetime ago, well if you want to count getting tipsy two weeks ago illegal but I digress. It was finally Halloween, normally it was just another day but I had friends that made it worthwhile. It was still early in the day but I couldn't ignore the giddy feeling that put a happy pep in my step. It was the passing period between first and second period so I was making my way to my locker to throw in my English textbook in place of a leisure read seeing as I had a free second period.

"Hey Cameron!" I turn around finding Lydia strutting towards me in her standard six inch stilettos. I fix the strap on my bag as I wait for Lydia to catch up.

"Hey Lyd, what's up?"

"I just wanted to let you know you're coming home with me so you can properly get ready." My brows knit together as I frown. There was a proper to get ready?

"Uhh, why can't I get ready at my place?" Lydia smiles apologetically as she places her hand on my shoulder.

"Trust me, I'm doing you a favor." I scoff incredulously. Lydia shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly and she smiles brightly before turning on her heels. "I'll see you at lunch!" Lydia could be such a freaking bitch.

"Ronnie wait up." Hearing the familiar nickname I already know who it is, Ben. I stop walking to run up to Ben throwing my arms around his torso in a hug. Ben staggers back slightly at the force I inflicted. "Someone's having a good day." Ben's whole body rumbles as he chuckles.

"I'm happy." I announce as I finally pull away from my brother. The smile Ben shoots me only adds to my mood. It was the kind of smiles that crinkled your eyes, the kind that hurt because you smiling so big and it was one of my favorite things in the world.

"I'm glad." Ben hooks his arm through mine leading me down the hallway. "How would you feel if I said I couldn't give you a ride to the party?"

"I'd be okay, Lydia is kidnapping me so she can doll me up all pretty." I lead him towards Mrs. Ellis knowing he had second period Junior English. "Besides I kind of figured you and Danny would be all couple-y in your 50's gangster costumes."

"Oh okay, I was worried you wouldn't have a ride and we wouldn't have made you uncomfortable or anything." I knew it was true but intruding on 'couple time' for anyone seemed too intimate, like I wasn't meant to be there in the first place.

"I know but still. Now get your ass to English before your late you little delinquent." Ben rolled his eyes as I pushed him towards the classroom.

"Whatever, stay out of trouble Ronnie." I shoot Ben a wink

"I never behave." Now that I was no longer anyone's escort I finally walked back down the hall to go to my locker. I hastily dialed my locker combination and swung the metal door open. A small piece of paper fluttered to the floor as I set my English textbook inside. I grabbed Mr. Mags' copy of _To Kill a Mockingbird _before bending down to pick up the small slip of paper. I assumed it was from Allison being cute by putting a quick note in my locker wishing me a Happy Halloween. I unfolded the paper expecting Allison's girly script. Instead the hand writing was unfamiliar to me. Though that wasn't what I found so alarming, it was the message itself.

_I will be dressed as what you are. Happy Halloween!_

My stomach lurched as several scenarios crossed my mind, the Alpha biting me only to turn around and severe me to pieces like he'd done to Quentin at _Videos 2C_ or the Alpha going Jeepers Creepers status and skinning me alive so he could in some sick and twisted wear my skin. My heart shot up to my throat beating wildly and thus making it difficult to catch my breath. Black spots danced across my vision as my body began to shake. Every time I clamped my eyes shut I saw blood staining my hands, the walls, and a white sun dress from so many years ago.

I hadn't realized I'd fallen to the floor until the cool chill of the tile caused my body to shake harder. My head felt like it was going to explode, I couldn't concentrate on anyone thing. I couldn't breathe and my chest began to ache with a painful burning sensation. I gave a cry of frustration as I tried to hold on to the little control I had over my body.

A blur of a body drops down next to me. "Cameron, are you alright?" I blink rapidly trying to focus my vision against the spinning room. My eyes focused enough to register Stiles on his hands and knees in front of me with a boy's bathroom pass in hand.

"N-no, I-I can't…god I can't breathe. Am I hav-having a heart a-attack?" I struggled to get a coherent sentence out. The harder it became to breathe the more I was beginning to panic. My hands shook more violently as I tried to steady them. Oh dear God was I dying?

"No listen to me, you're not having a heart attack," Stiles' voice sounded warped and distorted, almost as if he were speaking underwater. I was drowning! I was drowning! "Cameron I'm going to ask you some questions okay?"

"Do you take any medications for this?" I shook my head no.

"Alright you're doing a good, what do you need right now?"

"I-I need… I need air." My body jolted again, slamming my back against the lockers. I didn't even register the numbing pain in my back.

"Concentrate on your breathing alright? Cameron stay in the present. I know it's scary but it's not dangerous." Stiles voice was soothingly calm. I tried doing as he said concentrate on my shaky breathing.

"Alright you're doing a good job, you're going to get through this ok?"

"Do you need water?" I tried swallowing but my throat was thick, my throat was so dry. I nodded again, faintly hearing feet running down the hall. There was another faint thud on the floor and a crack of a cap opening. I flinched at the sound whilst tucking my knees to my chest. "Here's a water bottle." Stiles slipped a cool bottle into my hand but as I tried to bring the bottle to my lips my hands shook unsteadily causing water to slosh all over my legs. Stiles took the bottle from my hand and held it up to my lips, allowing me to take a sip. "Is that better?"

"Y-yes."

"Alright that's good. You're doing good."

"It hurts Stiles, my chest hurts." I tremble with cold chills.

"I know it does, but you're going to get through this and you're going to be safe." Stiles couldn't promise me that I was dying and I knew it. I rest my head against the locker staring up into the blinding light. Stiles must have noticed what I was doing. "Can you count the lights? Tell me how many there are."

I counted only to lose focus. I tried again and again trying to count the row of lights for Stiles but I couldn't. My heart clenched again. I was such a failure, I couldn't count lights. Why couldn't I do _anything_ right?

"I can't. I can't count them. Stiles I can't. I can't. I can't." I began hitting my head against the locker behind me in frustration. "I'm s-sorry I can't. I'm so so-rry." The hyperventilating started again with shallow breaths.

"It's okay, it's okay, you're okay. Don't worry about it, don't count them. I just need you to concentrate on your breathing. We're going to count to ten together okay."

One…two…three…four…five…six…seven…eight…nine…ten.

And again.

One…two…three…four…five…six…seven…eight…nine…ten.

And like a vale had been lifted, the air returned to my lungs filling me with such peace. It was an understatement to say I was tired. I looked over at Stiles, who was watching me as if I might break.

"Thank you." My voice was thick and hoarse.

"No problem. Do you want me to help you to the nurse?"

"No, I think I just need a bit to decompress." Stiles nodded in understanding, making a move to get up. "How did you know how to do that?" I watched as Stiles scratches the back of his neck.

"I used to get them a lot when I was younger. So I know that when they aren't fun. When did you start getting yours?"

"When I was younger." I bob my head a few times.

"I should probably get back to class." Stiles jabs his thumb down the hall in the general direction of his classroom.

"Okay, um thank you…I'm not sure how bad it would have been if you hadn't shown up." I smiled earnestly at the pale boy. He smiled back. We finally understood each other on really shitty common ground.

"No problem, if you're up for it later you can tell me what caused it." Unfortunately it reminded me of the cause of the severe panic attack, the note.

"Um…give this to Scott. Tell him we have a problem. Stiles took the note in from my hand and unfolded it to read it. I watch as his body stiffens. Stiles head shoots up to look at me almost incredulously, almost as if he couldn't understand how after reading this note hadn't made my panic attack any worse that what it had been.

"Does this mean he's…?" Stiles lets the question taper off afraid if he said anymore would set me off again.

"I don't know and I don't really want to think about it right now." Stiles nodded understandingly and held out a hand to help me up. I stumbled slightly as I tried to gather my footing. My legs felt numb like jelly. "I'm gonna go to the nurse."

"Alright, I'll tell Scott and try to feel better." Stiles and I parted ways after that. With shaky legs I waddled to the nurse's office to lay down. I knocked on the nurse's office door to announce my presence.

"Um, I'm not feeling to well, do you think I could lie down for a while?" I ask the heavyset nurse. The nurse turned in her chair with a smile.

"Sure thing sweetheart, I'll just need to take your temperature." She flicked her hand in the direction of the cot for me to sit on. "So what are you in for hon?" The nurse stuck the thermometer in my ear and clicked the button.

I flinched at the distorted sound in my ear. "Panic attack." The nurse hummed in confusion as she checked my temperature on the screen.

"103, must have been a doozy of an attack. Take as long as you need and I'll leave you to sleep." The nurse gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze and pushed herself out of her chair to give me alone time. "Poor thing." She murmured to herself as she left the office. My mind was foggy and I was overly exhausted but I still couldn't bring myself to fall asleep, but I stayed like that until the lunch bell rang.

I left the front office and made my way to the cafeteria. My blood sugar had been shot to hell and a chocolate chip cookie sounded amazing. A hand shot out of Mr. Harris' conjoining prep room. It caught hold of my arm and pulled me inside.

I was going to die.

"Cameron! Stiles showed me the note. Are you okay?" It was only an overly worried Scott McCall. And we were in the Chemistry storage room, probably inhaling deathly chemical fumes.

"I will be when my heart starts beating again." I snap as I slap his arm away. I was guessing Stiles didn't tell Scott about my panic attack. I'd have to thank him for that later.

"I just wanted to let you know Stiles and are going to keep an eye on you at the party so the Alpha can't get anywhere near you." Scott said sincerely. He seemed almost as afraid as I was. One of his friends was being threatened by a psychotic Alpha werewolf.

"I'm not going to go to the party anymore." I cross my arms over my chest. If the Alpha was going to be there planning to go through whatever scheme he had planned for me I wouldn't be there to find out.

"But you have to! How are we going to keep an eye on you?" Scott shouted frantically.

"Scott if the Alpha is going to be there and if he sees me there, there's no telling what he's going to do to me! So if I'm not there he can't do anything."

"But if you're not there the Alpha could kill everyone at the party." Scott countered while crossing his arms over his chest. "What if he kills Allison and her family?"

"So you want me to sacrifice myself?" I ask in surprise. Had Scott lost his damned mind?

"No! No- I just I don't know what else to do to keep you safe and the party will be held at a house full of hunters right?" Scott admitted glumly. It must have really bothered Scott to admit his girlfriend's family hunted and killed the very thing he was. "Think of it as a safety net and I'll just feel better if you were there."

"Fine I'll be there."

Boy were we in for a thriller.

XX

Lydia spent the majority of the drive to her house prattling about her game plan before the party. Apparently Lydia would need a lot of time to work on me. I tried not to take offense to that.

"Hair, makeup, and perfecting your costume is going to take time." Lydia smiled as she parked the car. "We have a lot to look forward to!"

"You don't have to go all out." Lydia snorts as she led the way into her house and up the stairs to her bedroom.

"You're kidding right? This is your first real Halloween and it's going to kick ass. And Grey Henley might show up, you know if you invited him like I told you to, so you have to look hot." With that Lydia began slathering endless amounts of face moisturizers on my face of brands I couldn't even fathom to pronounce.

"Hey Lydia can I take a nap?" The exhaustion from the nap was hitting me hard as my eyes began to droop.

"Of course! I never say no to a little beauty rest! God knows you could as much as you can get." I scoff as I curl into a little ball on Lydia's bed. I was asleep as soon as my head it pillow.

"Cam, time to get up." Lydia whispered as she shook my shoulders in an attempt to wake me up.

I groan in response. I fucking hated being woken up from a nap, it should be common courtesy to allow someone to wake up naturally. Being woken up from naps should be illegal. Especially when the Lydia Martin's of the world like to torture the Cameron Bane's with copious beauty products before much needed rest. "Five more minutes."

"No, get up now!" I could faintly hear Lydia's feet padding back to the side of the bed I'd been sleeping in. "Come on get up!"

"I said five more minutes." I complain tightening the ball I was curled into.

"Fine be difficult." Lydia stopped shaking my shoulders, ha ha I win you lose. One point for Cameron Bane and none for you, Lydia Martin. Two hands wrap around my ankles and begin forcibly pulling me out of the warm bed I was occupying. I shrieked as I fall to the floor with a thud. "Oh look you're up!"

"Bitch." I grumble as I push myself off the floor.

"Whore." Why was everyone calling me a whore this week? "Go take a shower. I'll do your hair." I'd learned hanging out with Lydia meant I'd become her life-size Barbie, minus the plastic and fake smile.

Twenty minutes later Lydia had managed to tame my wild waves into soft flouncy curls and apply a flawless face of makeup despite my fidgety movements. A round of applause is in order.

"I look like a painted whore." I joke inspecting my face in the mirror.

"Well if the shoe fits right?" Lydia says with a smug smile as she plays with her curled tresses.

I pinched the false eyelashes Lydia had painstakingly glued to my face. They felt so foreign and uncomfortable. If you could see your eyelashes when you blinked, your lashes were too long. "Dear male population, when was the last time you glued something to your face?"

"Oh please if a boy glued something to his face he would never know how to take it off." I hoped I knew how to take these off at the end of the night. "Alright so your makeup and hair is done, so now I can focus on myself." Lydia sat herself down in her vanity chair and began her work.

"What are you dressing up as?" I question as I watch Lydia hairspray her hair into a high ponytail. Lydia grabbed what looked to be a rolled up sock and started rolling her hair through it until it produced a neat looking ballerina bun.

"The black swan." I watch with childlike fascination as Lydia begins doing her makeup. For many girls like Lydia they grew up watching their mothers apply their makeup and go about their daily routine to looking pretty. I couldn't help but watch seeing as it was something I'd never been giving the opportunity to do. I smile faintly to myself. I would never understand the people who believed she was a cold hearted person because Lydia cared deeply for those around her. I wouldn't lie and say I hadn't latched on to the redheaded girl, how could I not? She'd given me many firsts a daughter should share with her mother. Not that I would ever tell Lydia any of this.

"What are you smiling at?" Lydia asks, drawing me out of my thoughts.

"Nothing, you look funny." Lydia snorts as she paints bold black wings on her eyes. It was haunting but at the same time it was soft and delicate. It was something only Lydia could manage to pull off. Lydia finished off the look with an ox blood colored lipstick.

"Screw you, I look you amazing." Lydia pushed herself off of the cushioned vanity seat and pulled out her costume. It was a black feathered dress and if I knew Lydia at all I'm sure it was the original dress. "Now it's time to get dressed." Lydia pulled out the black dress Kate had lent me from her closet because she didn't trust me from keeping it from getting wrinkled.

I quickly threw the dress on hoping my scars would go unnoticed by Lydia, thankfully she was busy slipping into her own dress. The dress Kate had lent me was beautiful. The flouncy black skater dress had silver bead work on the shoulders and a mesh bodice that showed off the right amount of cleavage. I was thankful for the jersey knot material, it showed off a lot of skin but the skin it did cover would be warm. I pulled the red hooded cloak around my shoulders and tied it off in a bow. I bent down to pull on my boots when Lydia smacked my hand away from my boots.

"Do not even think of wearing those, here." Lydia handed me a pair of black platform suede pumps. I took the heels with bulging eyes how the hell did Lydia expect me to walk in these? If I wore these seven inch monstrosities I wouldn't have to worry about an Alpha mauling me because I'd break my neck before that ever happened. I read the label of the heel of the foot, Christian Louboutin. Jesus Christ were these designer?

"Are you sure because I plan on getting belligerently drunk tonight and if these are nice shoes I don't want to wear them." I delicately place the shoes on to the bed. I _would not_ assume responsibility for these.

"Don't worry I have a backup pair." Lydia shrugged as she slipped on a pair of black leather pumps of her own. "Besides, those are the pair my dad bought for Christmas last year, I haven't even worn them because he didn't even bother to get the right size. So if they fit they're yours." Lydia laughed bitterly.

"Still no change in the daddy front?" I ask as I slip on the heels, which fit like a glove.

"It's not like he's even tried. I mean I haven't even spoken to him since I chose to live with my mom." Lydia shrugged clearly not wanting to spoil tonight with her father. I stood up testing how my ankles would react to the sudden elevation; surprisingly they didn't wobble in protest. "We need pictures! We look hot." Lydia took several pictures, some serious, some funny, and some I didn't even know what the hell was going on.

Lydia had given me a wicker picnic basket to use as a purse because it would be 'blasphemous' to not use it considering my costume. Lydia waited for me downstairs while I did last minuet preening. The phantom burning in my side reminded me I was so going to hell for wearing this costume.

XX

When we arrived at the Argent residence the house was bursting at the seams with everything Halloween. There was a decked out graveyard in the front lawn with ominous thundering music playing. There were even several flashes of strobe lights every time a clap of thunder sounded. Lydia and I linked arms as we followed the trail of dead bodies Allison bought at _Spirit_ several days prior. The bloody bodies lead to Allison's backyard that was littered with flickering lights, fog from a cheesy fog machine, and wispy cobwebs hung from the iron balcony. This was a fucking haunted house attraction.

"Lydia! Cameron! You guys are here!" An already tipsy Allison pranced towards us donning her Alice costume. Lydia had been right in saying the costume choice suited her perfectly. The hair that framed Allison's face was elegantly pulled back with a little blue bow. "My parents aren't home so if you want to drink, drink! It's a party!" Allison cheered throwing her arms up.

"How many drinks have you had?" Lydia questions with a smirk as we watched Allison giddily twirl around. Allison would be such a fun drunk.

My game plane for tonight: Get Allison as wasted as possible and dick around.

"Only a few, Scott made me a couple of pink drinks. They were _sooo_ good!" The doe eyed giggled happily as she grabbed our hands and pulling us deeper into the spooky yard. "Is Jackson coming?"

"Later." Lydia dismissively shrugged.

Emerging from the smoke were two gangsters with a confidence oozing from there every step and man did they clean up well. Ben hooked his arm lazily around my shoulders. "How ya doing doll face?" I smirk as I flick a curl from Ben's face.

"Well aren't you looking handsome, you big lug." I say easily plucking Ben's brown fedora off of his and onto mine. I so now wanted to be Grace.

"I always look good." Ben smirks grabbing his hat and placing it back over his slicked back hair.

"You're costumes came out great." I smile noticing that their suits were authentic and in good condition.

"Yeah they we're my grandpa's." Danny smiles sheepishly. "Ben, let's go get a drink." Ben nods and unwinds his arm from my shoulders.

"Alright, let's blow this joint." I snorted. Ben was way too into dressing up as a gangster for someone who followed his own straight and narrow path. "See you around doll face."

I grabbed ahold of Ben's tie and pulled his face closer to mine. "If you need me, just whistle. You know how to whistle don't you?" I straighten his tie before pushing him off in the direction Danny had walked in.

"You guys are so dorky." Lydia laughed as she watched Ben catch up with Danny.

"Yeah but were the cool dorks." I shrug as I turn to face Allison. "Now who do I have to sweet talk in order to get a drink around here?"

"Scott can make a mean drink." Allison led the way to the backyard bar Scott was manning.

"Scotty supply me with my sinful vices." I demand as I slid myself into a bar stool. Scott raised his eyes in surprise.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Scott asks hesitantly. I knew it would be smarter to stay sober in case the Alpha made an appearance but screw that. I was getting drunk off my ass because if I was going to die I'd at least have fun before it happened.

"Get the lady a drink." Lydia commands as she slides into the stool next to me. Scott rolls his eyes as he pours several juices and alcohols in a red solo cup.

"H-hey Lydia you look…amazing." Stiles stutters. It shouldn't have surprised me Stiles was dressed as the dark knight.

"I know I do." Lydia smiles smugly as she gives Stiles foam muscles a distasteful once over. "You know if these were real," Lydia says as she leans over and gave Stiles' foam bicep a firm squeeze. "you might actually get to play lacrosse instead of ride the bench." Stiles' look of ecstasy quickly diminished after the harsh comment.

Scott set down the cup in front of me and I quickly downed its contents. I shoot Scott a look of displeasure as I set down the solo cup.

"What? Too strong?" Scott asks.

"No! It's too weak, give me something with a kick." I complain as I slide the cup back towards him in way of asking for more.

"Allison, let's go dance yeah?" Lydia asked as she hops off of the stool not even bothering to wait for the doe eyed girls answer before she dragged her off." Stiles quickly occupied the seat Lydia's seat.

"So Batman huh?" I ask kicking the black rubber boots Stiles was wearing.

"Yeah I thought it would be cool. It was either this or Captain Jack Sparrow, I kinda wish I stuck with Jack because it's getting a little too hot in this." For emphasis Stiles rips off the mask he'd been wearing to reveal his red tinted cheeks.

"Well hey, the more you sweat the bigger your muscles will get!" I clap as Scott sets another red cup in front of me. Stiles give my shoulder a light shove as he chuckles softly. Again I quickly down the cup, which was _a lot _stronger. And I liked it.

After a while I'd lost count at just how much I'd actually had to drink. I'd even forgotten at how strong I'd made some of these drinks. By ten the party was in full swing and Isaac had yet to show. With the alcohol clouding my judgment I couldn't bring myself to care too much.

Danny quickly grabbed my hand as _Suavemente_ by Elvis Crespo started playing. I guess this was the song Danny boy had been saving for me. Latin beats never hurt anyone. "Dance with me!" Danny grabbed both of my hands as we both started moving our hips to the beat. Latin music was always better form me to dance to, especially when I was drunk because my hips don't fucking lie. For the final beats of the song Danny pulled me close so he could dip me. My vision may have been clouded but I was fairly certain Derek Hale stood of in the distance watching me. The crowd Danny and I had attracted clapped when the song ended and we both dramatically bowed.

I quickly grabbed my stuff and made my way through the gyrating bodies to get to Derek. "Slicky-Rick, Slick Ricky you made it! I squealed happily.

"What are you even doing?" Derek questions with an agitated huff.

"Well, you see I'm waiting for the right wolf to come looking through my goody basket." I smile innocently as Derek raises his eyebrows in surprise. I hold up my picnic basket with a finger. "Wanna take a look?" Derek snorts as his eyes trail down the span of my body.

"You can't be serious? Little Red Riding Hood? Really?" In a drunken need to please Derek I quickly pull off the red cloak and shove it in my basket.

"It's versatile." I say with a broad smile. Derek gives an irate eye roll before checking out my cleavage. I sway slightly as I my ankles finally give out. Derek's hands shoot out with supernatural speed and catch me before my face makes contact with cement. Derek's hands wrap around my waist and lift me off my feet and carry me to the side of the house. I squeal girlishly as he plops me down of the cement wall with a thud.

"How much have you had to drink?" Derek questions, not relinquishing his hold on my waist in fear I might topple over into the neighbor's driveway. I shrug happily still feeling the buzzing in my bloodstream.

"Who cares? I lost count after I played beer pong with Greenburg… and after Allison made us take shots every time she bobbed an apple." I sling my arms around Derek's neck pulling him slightly closer to me as a slower song with a nice beat started to play loudly. "Long time no see right? I thought you forgot about me." I puff out my lips in a pout.

"And what if the Alpha shows up? You're not fit to even walk. How do expect to keep yourself safe." Derek questioned as he stared down at me completely unaffected by me.

"Isn't that what you're here for? To save me?" I question tilting my head as I tighten my hold around his neck. My heart skipped a few beats as I stared into his eyes; I hadn't realized how green they were until now.

"I thought you didn't want saving." I swallow thickly as Derek's warm hands slid around my back. He was pulling me closer to him.

"Maybe I want you to." I lick my lips nervously. "Maybe I do need saving." Part of me even wondered if I was still talking about the Alpha anymore. I flick my wrist up to run my fingers lazily through Derek's thick black hair.

"What do you need me to do?" Derek asks in a soft voice. He wasn't talk about the Alpha or even me needing saving. Derek was asking what I wanted to do right now. I didn't know what I wanted and Derek's close proximity wasn't help. Derek's cologne had me reeling, he was just so _intoxicating. _My heart was pounding in me chest as I looked up at Derek through my thick lashes. I shift myself so I can be even closer to Derek's warm body, so we could be chest to chest. I always knew Derek was good looking but being this close I realized how dangerously handsome he really was. Without thinking I wrap my hand around the back of his neck and pull his lips to mine. My heart surges with embarrassment when Derek doesn't return the kiss. I push him away quickly not even bothering to hide my reddening face.

"Sorry…I" My apology is quickly cut off when Derek quickly yanks me back to him and hungrily caught my mouth with his. My hands automatically find themselves tangled back in Derek's black locks. A soft sigh escapes past my lips as Derek rough, warm hand cups my cheek while the other arches my back into him. As the kiss deepens the mellow jazz song melts away. The laughs and cheers from my peers having a good time at the party don't matter anymore. Only Derek did. Another small moan escapes me when Derek's tongue softly brushes against my bottom lip.

"Jackson! Wait up!" A voice laughs. As if we were burned, Derek and I rip away from one another. "Oh!" Lydia's eyes widen as she sees me sitting on the cement wall, arms draped around Derek's neck. My eyes widen and shyly pull my arms back to myself.

"I guess this spot is already taken." Jackson slurs drunkenly as he tugs Lydia back to the heart of the party.

"Bye Cammy! Bye Grey Henley!" Lydia calls happily over her shoulder. Derek looks at me curiously with a raised brow. I simply bow my head and shrug in mock confusion. Lydia was so dead. I sneak a peek at Derek who scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. My heart swells with mortification. Derek regretted the kiss.

"I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…" I mumble biting my now swollen bottom lip.

"You're drunk you didn't know what you were doing. I should get you sobered up, come on." Derek grabs my waist again and carefully sets my feet on the ground. I prance after him as he leads the way to his car. I should put the cloak back on. I could total be superman and run around. "What do you want to eat?" Derek asked as he started the car.

"I'm not hungry." I flip through Derek's preset radio stations until I settled on one I liked.

"You need something to eat to absorb the alcohol."

"Are you hungry?" I question as I turn up the radio a little too loud. Derek quickly turns it back down to a respectable level. What a party pooper.

"I'll eat if you eat." Derek drove around town arguing with me trying to get me on a place to eat. "How about that place?" He asks at he points at the illuminated sign of McDonalds.

"Do you like that place?"

"No but I'll eat there if that's what you want."

"Nope!" I laugh.

Derek groans in frustration, though he was being extremely patient. "Why not?"

"Because you dummy we both have to like it." I roll my eyes like it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Just pick somewhere!"

"No you pick!"

"Cameron just pick some place to eat goddamn it."

"I'm not eating shit unless you pick" I stick my tongue out childishly as I cross my arm over my chest. I gaze out the window and glance at a Dairy Queen just up the road. I smack Derek's arm excitedly. "Derek! Can we eat there? Please, please, pleaseee?" Derek pulls into the lot and rolls right into a parking spot. I climb out of the car and follow Derek into the Dairy Queen.

The guy at the cashier looked close to my age, maybe 18 at most. "Hi can I take your order?" He smiles at me expectantly as he slyly checks me out. I was too far gone to notice but Derek had noticed the cashier's gaze stayed on my chest longer than necessary.

"Can I have a large order of fries, a cheeseburger and a banana split?" I order not even looking at the menu. I glance at Derek so he can order. He drapes his arm over my shoulder as he ordered.

"Can I get a number five, instead of a soda I want a water bottle and upgrade the fries to a large." Derek throws the cashier a twenty and pulls me towards an open booth. "Here." I watch as he shrugs off his leather jacket and hands it over to me. I slip on the jacket that was several sizes to big but I was incredibly warm now.

"Thanks." I say as I push up the sleeves.

"So why did you want to eat here?" Derek questions as he settles into his side of the booth. I bit my lip shyly, not wanting to answer.

"My dad and I used to come here when I was younger." Derek's brows shoot up in surprise at my confession. "During the summer in Washington we would come here and sit in those stools and we'd get ice cream cones. We'd race each other to see who would finish first, my dad always won though. After we were done, we would look at the wall full of other kids' art projects and I'd always ask why mine never made it on the wall."

"And what would he say?" Derek questions softly, not wanting to press me to talk if I didn't want to.

"He'd say it was too beautiful to ever make it on the wall because the owner would change the art weekly. He said what I had to offer was too special to be given a shelf life." I smile faintly feeling my heart lurch when a wave of emotion crashed into me.

"Here's your order." The cashier said cheerfully as he placed our tray of food in front of us. The sincere moment dissolved as I began to devour the sundae in front of me.

"You wanna bite?" I ask pushing the sundae toward Derek. He snatched the spoon from my hand and took several heaping bites of my sundae. "Hey you asshole don't eat it all!"

"I paid for it!" Derek said as he took another bite.

"I don't care it's mine! All the sugar for me!" Derek rolled his eyes as he pushed the bowl towards me. There was only like, three bites left! That dick bag werewolf!

"So how did you know the Alpha would be lurking around the party?" I ask chewing through a mouthful of French fries.

"Scott told me about the note you found in your locker. Derek admitted as he popped a fry in his mouth.

I nodded as I continued to eat my food. We ate in content silence for the next fifteen minutes. Derek handed me the water bottle when I'd finished my food. He didn't want me to get dehydrated. I took several long swigs of the bottle and handed it back to the werewolf. Derek quickly polished off the bottle and tossed it in the trash.

"So where are you staying?" Derek asked as he pulled out of the parking lot.

"Where I've been staying since I got here?" Derek's jaw clenches and his knuckles tighten over the steering wheel.

"You went back?" Derek asked in angered disbelief.

"Where else was I supposed to go Derek? I have nowhere to go but there."

"After what he did you went back? Why would you think of going back there?" Derek's voice was rising as he was getting angrier.

"Because it may suck living there but I've been through worse!" I shout back. Derek looks at me with surprise and then guilt. "It can always be worse, believe me John is like daycare compare to what I've seen."

"I just don't understand why you're so desensitized to this. This isn't healthy."

"That's how Scott feels about you, you know? He can't understand why this werewolf shit comes so easy to you. He doesn't understand it because he didn't grow up with it like you did. You don't understand me because you didn't grow up the way I did. I don't expect you to understand, I'm not asking you to, I'm just asking you to leave it be."

"I could kill him you know?" Derek seethed as he tighten his grip on the steering wheel.

"I don't want you to." I say honestly as Derek parks the car on the curb.

"Call me if anything ever happens okay?" I nod dismissively. "I'm not kidding. Call me if he pulls any shit."

"I will, I promise." I open the door hesitating before heaving myself out of the car. Feeling bold, I leaned across the center console and pecked Derek's scruffy cheek. "Thanks for tonight."

As I walk up to the front door I wait for Derek to drive off before I enter the house. When he drives away a metallic stench hits me like a brick. I throw my basket purse next to the front door, something I always did when I needed to make a hasty getaway. I kick off the heels Lydia gave me with a content sign my feet hated me so much after the seven inch hell I just put them through. "I'm home!" I call out not really expecting an actual answer. I was expecting something along the lines of a string of obscenities sent my way. I padded across the hardwood floor towards the family room. The metallic scent was most pungent here and I found out why.

Dried blood was smeared across the walls and all over the floor. I didn't know whose limb belonged to how. John's and Mary-Anne's bodies were so mangled and torn apart. Deep bite marks peppered their skin. John was still sitting in his chair as his glassy eyes stared off into nothing. The mangled couple's skin was bloated and pale, they'd been lying in their own pools of blood for God knows how long. When I had left for school this morning they had been alive and obnoxiously well, hearts beating, lungs breathing and now they were dead. I let out a blood curdling scream that had been building in my throat until I could taste my own metallic blood.

A pair of arms wraps around my middle causing me to scream and struggle against whoever had caught me. I kicked the shins of my captor with my barefooted heels. I was suddenly dropped on a couch in a completely different house. "Cameron! Cam! It's me calm down!" Two hand cup my face in an attempt to calm my frantic tries to escape. I was met face to face with a very bewildered Scott McCall. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Oh God he killed them! Scott he killed them, why? Why did he do that?" I scream again in frustration. Why did I always find the bodies?

"Scott, what the hell are you doing down there? Do you have any idea what time it is?" Mrs. McCall bounds down the stairs in a rush as she ties her rope tightly around herself. "Oh, hello" Mrs. McCall stops at the foot of the stairs upon seeing me a quivering shaky mess on her couch.

"H-hi." I croak.

"What happened?" Scott asks in a soothing voice.

"I don't-I don't know. Derek dropped me off and they were in pieces, there dead and I-I don't"

"Wait what's going on here?" Mrs. McCall asks in an alarmed voice. "Who's in pieces? Who's dead?" Scott shoots a glance between me and his mother. Scott's expression grew increasingly alarmed when my shaking suddenly stopped. I was slowly retreating in on myself.

"Her parent's I think." Scott sends his mom a knowing look.

"They're not my parents. They're just my foster parents." They may have just been my foster parents for the time being they didn't deserve this. As horrible as John and Mary-Anne were they didn't deserve to die because of me. I was so sick of having people die because of me.

"Scott is this the girl you said you were worried about?" Scott's mom questions. Scott was worried about me?

"Yeah this is her."

"I'm calling the cops. They'll know how to handle this." I shoot up from the spot I'd been sitting in. I was not getting shipped off, not again. If this is a part of the Alpha's plan he didn't think it through very well. Killing my foster parents meant I was without parental guidance, didn't he know there was no other possible outcome for me?

"No! You can't do that! No if you do that I have to leave here! No please if you want to help me, buy me a bus ticket. Don't send me off to go to another hell hole." I slowly creep my way to the front door hoping I could run before Scott's mom could call the police. Scott realizes what I'm trying to do and blockades the door. "Have you even looked into foster care?"

The curly haired woman smiles apologetically. "Sweetie, I'm sure you're a sweet girl but I'm not looking to adopt another teenager." I shake my head in frustration.

"No, no that's not what I mean. If you know anything about foster care you know it isn't safe, you'd know kids die in the system."

"Mom is that true?" Scott asks turning to his mom. His mother nods gravely.

"I've had to check out several foster kids in the ER." Mrs. McCall looks at me; something in my expression causes her expression to soften. "You can stay here for now but we still have to call the cops."

So that was the Alpha's plan all along. He knew I'd never leave Beacon Hill's if he'd killed John and Mary-Anne. He had somehow taken a leap of faith in hoping Mrs. McCall would take pity on Beacon's resident Orphan Annie. The Alpha now had both of his toys under one roof.

Whatever the Alpha was trying to accomplish was going according to plan.

* * *

**CAMREK DID THE THING!**

**I couldn't stop squealing while reading all of your reviews! I was so happy you liked the Derek POV, I had so much fun writing it and it was scary how easy I slipped into his mentality to write it. Hope you guys liked this chapter as much as I do! Love everyone who reviews/follows/favorites you all bring me such joy.**

**Q: Camerk slow burn?**

**A: Yes, always slow burn.**

**Q: (Not really a question but whatever right?) Camrek Stubbornness.**

**A: SO GLAD YOU NOTICE THEY'RE STUBBORN because considering their backgrounds neither Derek or Cameron are going to jump right out and say I think I might have feelings for this person. Why you may ask? Because they feel everything good they have they end up loosing regardless of how hard they try to keep it safe. This will be a slow burn but they are quick to latch onto each other, kind of like a safety net if that makes any sense. So yeah they'll deny they have feelings for each other but they'll feel overly protective of each other because they want the other to be happy without realizing they make each other happy by just being there.**

**And I arrogantly demand more reviews, I already feel a writing slump coming (I've been putting off this AN for a while) on so maybe the questions you have for this chapter will spark an idea. 8+ please :)**

**Oh and if any of you have question about this story that you DEMAND be answered right away PM me or ask me on tumblr and I'll get right to you! Or you know if you wanna say hi... :)**


	14. Chapter 14

It had only been fifteen minutes before Derek's phone to begin ringing frantically in his pocket as he drove back to the preserve. Normally he could return to the preserve within five minutes if he rushed home but some sick feeling warned Derek to wait for his phone to blare. Derek had asked Cameron to call if anything else happened with her abusive foster parent and he wondered how bad of a state she was in this time. His anticipated rush to answer the phone diminished when the caller ID flashed Scott's name. "What do you want?" Derek barked into the phone accidentally running a stop sign.

"Derek, something happened with Cam." There were muffled voices in the background that Derek couldn't identify. "How soon can you be here?"

"I'm on my way." Derek snapped the phone shut and made a sharp you turn. To hell with what Cameron said, he'd kill that son of a bitch if as much laid a hand on her. Derek had barely cooled off from his previous wave of anger towards the belligerent drunk only to have it return full throttle. Derek would _destroy_ him.

Derek stepped on the pedal pushing his car faster towards Cameron's direction. Derek pulled into Orchard Road to find only Scott standing in his driveway. He quickly cut the Camaro's engine and pushed himself out of the car. "What happened?"

"The Alpha…" Derek tensed as Scott stammered. "He, he killed Cameron's foster parents."

"Is Cameron safe?" As long as she was safe he could care less about the disgusting human beings that were supposed to take care of her.

"She's a little shaken up but she said she's okay."

"Where is she now?" Derek could still smell her scent is was harder to smell over the overpowering stench of stale blood. Stale Bennett blood.

"She's inside. My mom gave her the ultimatum of being dragged to the hospital to get a checkup or letting my mom do it in my bathroom." Scott shrugged but it was obvious he was worried for the wellbeing of his friend.

"Checkup for what?" Derek questioned as he wondered if the Alpha had attacked her as well.

"Just to see if she's healthy I guess." Scott says. He cocked his head slightly as if he were trying to hear his mother and Cameron speak.

"_Open your mouth Cameron."_

"_Hell no. You are not putting a popsicle stick down my throat."_

"_Don't make me drag your ass to the Hospital because I can guarantee they won't be as patient."_

Derek could hear a slight gagging sound. He chuckled to himself as he imagined Cameron's pouty glare as she complied with Scott's mother. Derek noticed the young Beta regarded him with an odd look as he smiled faintly to himself as he listened to Cameron and Scott's mother bicker.

"We should go check out the house." Derek brushed past Scott crossing the street towards the bloodied Bennett residence.

"For what?" Scott questions.

"We're going to find out why he killed them." Derek said as if it were already painfully obvious.

"But the cops already took the evidence."

Derek cut the naive Beta a sidelong glance. "What the cops find to be useful will be completely different from what we find useful." Both Betas gracefully duck underneath the yellow caution tape with ease. Derek pushes the front door open as lightly as he could manage in case they double checked for prints. The already overpowering stench intensified threefold upon entering the crime scene.

"How do we know what we're looking for?" Scott asks as he plugs his nose against the foul odor.

"You'll know." The origin of the death was severely lacking any evidence Derek needed. All he could really find was bloodstained _everything_.The Alpha hadn't even left a mark to prove the bastard had been here.

"I didn't find anything did you?" Scott asks as he enters the bloodied family room. Derek shook his head in frustration. He was growing overtly agitated with the entire situation.

"Let's check the kitchen."

"But they died in here Derek?"

"I wouldn't put it past him to wander around afterwards." Derek growled. He just couldn't understand why the Alpha would kill them, albeit they did deserve to die. They were horrible people. They enter the kitchen and unfortunately it didn't look like this are had been tampered with.

"There's a lock on the fridge." Scott realizes as he juts his chin in the direction of the refrigerator. Derek glances as it already knowing the purpose behind the small piece of metal.

"They fed her when they wanted to so she had to wait on them to eat." Derek says grimly. He remembered how Cameron ate quickly as possible as if she were afraid it would be snatched away from her.

"So that's why she stole from the vending machines." Scott realizes with a frown.

"Wait, what?" Derek shoots Scott an accusatory glare.

"I remember over hearing Cameron and her brother talking a while ago, she was staying in the boiler room for a while and I guess she was stealing from the vending machines."

"Next time you hear something like that don't be a dumbass, next time share with the class." Derek turns away from Scott out of anger. That's when he sees it, a note pad with a spiral taking up most of the page. Derek stares at it in disbelief. Somehow the Bennett's and the guy at the video store were somehow connected.

"What? Did you find something?" Scott moves to stand next to Derek to look at the notepad. "It's a spiral. What does it mean?"

Derek glares down at the notepad. "Nothing."

"But there was a spiral at the video store and you buried your sister under a spiral."

"Trust me Scott when I say you don't want to know." Derek makes his way out of the kitchen and towards the front door. "Look, whatever happens keep Cameron out of it. All of it. If it has anything to do with the Alpha come to me not her."

"Why? Is she in danger?" Scott questions with growing alarm. Derek runs a hand haphazardly through his shot black hair.

"That's what we have to find out but until we find out keep her out of this and don't let her out of your sight." Scott quickly agrees and scurries back inside. Derek sighs roughly as he rakes his hand down his face. He told her to call him.

Movement in the corner of his eye caught Derek's attention. He turned to see Cameron hoist herself out of a second story bedroom window. Cameron pulled herself to a standing position and climbed to the roof of Scott's house. He could hear Cameron punching numbers into her cellphone and whoever she was calling didn't answer.

"_Hey Derek, uh you said to call if anything happen…so I'm calling. John and Mary-Anne… Derek they're dead. I don't know when you'll get this but I'm okay and I just wanted you to know that. That I'm okay." _She clicks the end button on the call. Cameron pulls her knees to her chest looking incredibly small. Against his better judgment Derek uses his enhanced speed to whisk himself to the roof.

"How are you feeling?" Derek asks suddenly causing Cameron's heart to race and her body to flinch.

"God I need to get you to wear a bell before you give me an actual heart attack." Cameron snaps with a small smile. Derek quirks a brow in way of waiting for an answer. "I'm okay I guess. I mean, I can't believe they're dead." She sighs heavily as she rubs her temples. "I don't know they just didn't…I don't know." Cameron un-tucks her legs and lies down. Derek wonders if this will be at all reminiscent to several weeks ago.

"You don't think they deserved it?" Derek asks slightly surprised. He believed the late couple deserved whatever they had coming.

"They didn't deserve to die because of me." She whispers softly.

"Nothing's going to happen to you." Derek assures.

"You can't promise me that Derek. The Alpha is targeting me, killing people I know. I'm not safe." Derek notices the panic in her eyes.

"I'll keep you safe." He knows he can't promise her, her safety. God knew everything he tried to keep safe died regardless of what he did but he would try to keep this promise. They fall into a content silence and Derek lies down as well.

"Thank you by the way." Cameron shifts her body so she's on her side facing him. He lulls his head to the side to meet her gaze.

"For what?"

"For taking care of me tonight, I can be a bit of a handful when I get drunk so thanks for looking out for me." Derek shrugs his shoulder noncommittally; Cameron didn't remember everything that happened. "And now that I'm sober I apologize now."

"You were fine. How long are you staying here?" Derek questions as he watches Cameron bit down on her bottom lip.

"Until I can plan my next move." Cameron wraps her arms around her middle. "I can't even wear my own clothes, I tried to go get some clothes but the cops wouldn't let me."

"Want me to get you them?" Derek sits up to ready himself to reenter the closed off crime scene. Cameron's hand loops around his forearm to keep him in his place.

"Don't go." Derek gives Cameron a perplexed look.

"Why?" Cameron lets her hand slide off of his arm with a shrug.

"I don't want you to see that, the aftermath. You shouldn't have to see it if you don't have to." She was trying to look out for his wellbeing? Little did she know he'd already seen the crime scene in all its bloody glory. "Just…stay here." Derek nods and settles back once more.

Cameron clamps her eyes shut as if she were remembering something. "Shit, sorry I forget you actually have a life. If you need to leave you can."

Derek smiles faintly as he stares up at the sky. "I'm not leaving you alone." He was surprised by what he had said. He was even more surprised by the honesty in his words.

They settle back into the content silence they always seemed to share. In the corner of Derek's eye he could see Cameron watching with a look of curiosity. "What's your Zodiac sign?"

He turns to the amber eyed girl giving her his own curious look. "What?"

"You're Zodiac sign like Aries and Taurus?" Derek must have been sending Cameron a look of distrust because she sighed slightly. "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

Derek raises his brow as he waits for an answer. "Aquarius."

"Scorpio." Derek grumbles reluctantly. He watches as Cameron pulls her phone from her pocket and begins punching a few buttons.

"Scorpios are more than able to help people because they instinctively know how others feel. They have penetrating eyes that can see through people, and this helps Scorpios find weak spots in others. They aren't easily frightened of negative things because they know something bad will always lead to something good." Cameron licked her lips when she finished reading the Horoscope. Derek was surprised that this was her idea of passing time.

"Really? You're going to read me my Horoscope?" Derek asks with a defiant smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Shut up and let me have my fun." Cameron snaps as she scrolls down her phone screen. "Scorpios hate people who ask for honest opinions and then get sensitive about the answer, condescending and pompous people and those who appear two-faced, people that can't keep secrets and vapid people who don't know when to stop talking."

"Song lyrics featuring _Shake it out _by Florence and the Machine. Scorpio's lyric is 'All of the ghouls come out to play and every demon wants his pound of flesh but I like to keep some things to myself." It was accurate enough and Derek wondered if Cameron's was accurate for her as well.

"What's yours?"

"Umm, its… 'Looking for heaven, found the devil in me. Well what the hell I'm gonna let it happen to me." Derek wanted as she frowned slightly as she read her lyric that coincided with her Zodiac sign.

"Zodiac signs and Ice cream flavors. Scorpios ice cream is cookie dough and Aquarius' ice cream is coffee." Cameron turns to him with a thoughtful look. "Do you like cookie dough ice cream?"

"I'm not that big of a big sweet eater." Derek says thinking back to the banana split he'd shared with Cameron.

"Oh, okay." She turns her attention back to her phone once more. "Scorpios tend to have a streak of being disruptive, especially to themselves. That sounds more like me than it does you."

"Your common facial expression is tough and strong and mine is… tired face." Derek snorted as Cameron frowns. "This is crap!" He let out a deep laugh.

"We both have fixed personalities."

"What does that mean?"

"Like I know, I'm just reading them."

"Read some of yours now." Derek suggests nudging her shoulder. She nods quickly and bites her lip as she scrolls through her phone once more.

"Aquarius prefers friends who are outlandish or weird." Cameron lets out a soft laugh. "I'm sure lycanthropy fits somewhere in there right?" Derek shifts uncomfortably as he begins to wonder for the first time if what he was bothered Cameron.

"Do you find what I am weird?" Derek asks with weary suspicion.

"No not at all." She glances in Derek's direction and quickly notices his look of weariness. "Wait, you don't think I think of you differently because you're a werewolf do you?"

"Do you?" Derek challenges. Cameron sits up abruptly from her lying position.

"No! I mean I can't judge you for who you are. That's like me asking if you think any differently of me because of the life I have to live, which I'm sure you do think differently of me now."

Derek goes to open his mouth to dismiss Cameron's thoughts when she simply raises a hand to silence him. "You don't have to say anything. The first real conversation we had was you telling me you were a werewolf so I couldn't come up with a preconceived idea of who you were. With me, you already had this idea of who you thought I was, this human girl who has it pretty good."

"I was being a dick when I said that."

"But that's what you thought of me and I can't blame you for that because I know I tend to be a little too easy going at times, even flippant at times but that's because if I don't roll with what's thrown my way I'll drive myself mad."

In Cameron's flurry to get her point across her dark hair curtains around her face. Derek's hand reaches out and tucks the stay tuft of hair behind her ear. "I think the life you were thrown into sucks and I don't think anyone should have to go through what you did but I do believe if your parents were alive today you would live a privileged life. A happy life."

"We never would have met." She mumbles softly.

"Maybe that would have been for the best." Cameron pulls her face away from his lax hold, a hurt expression evident on her face.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you'd be safer if you weren't in Beacon Hills."

Derek instantly regrets saying it even if it was true. Even if he thought Cameron would be safer away from the shit storm that was Beacon Hills the spike in her heart told him she thought otherwise. Cameron was sitting a mere six inches from him but Derek could feel her slipping farther and farther away. And that was another thing Derek could add to the list of his bad habits; he always said the wrong thing.

"All I meant was-"

"Hey don't worry about. I'm pretty tired. I think I'm just going to go to bed." Her heart rate spiked again. This time she was lying. Cameron wasn't leaving because she was tired. She was leaving because she wanted to get away. "Goodnight Derek." No infuriating nickname.

Derek waited until the soft padding of Cameron's feet ceased before edging off the roof and sliding himself through Scott's window. He found Scott anxiously pacing his bedroom.

"This is all my fault." Scott whines as he continues his pacing. "I can't keep anyone safe. Not Stiles' dad, not Cameron, who I should have been keeping tabs on." Derek knew this wasn't all Scott's fault, he was just miffed the novice Beta wasn't doing more to help his friends.

"I need you to teach me. You said you would teach me if I helped you, so teach me. I can't help anyone if I can't control it." Scott complains as he throws up his arms in frustration.

"And I will. Just make sure you keep Cameron out of it."

"If you can teach me I'll avoid her at all costs if I have to." Derek didn't want to admit it but that would probably be for the best. He may have introduced Cameron to the supernatural world but she was still human even if her scent was off. Cameron deserved normalcy and Derek wouldn't hesitate to cut himself from her life if it meant she could have a shot at it.

"Just keep an eye on her."

"Why exactly? I mean I get that she could be in danger but why keep her out of it entirely?" Scott questions with a knitted brow.

"It's not my place to say." Derek admits squaring his shoulders. Derek knew Cameron would never admit it but she was scared and he couldn't blame her. She'd lost her family to a wolf and now her foster parents were killed by a vengeful Alpha.

"Do you know how infuriatingly vague you are?"

"Think about it Scott, her foster parents by an Alpha. Do you really think she's going to want to hear about the Alpha now?" Maybe Derek wouldn't have thought to keep her out of it if he wasn't reminded of what Cameron had said earlier.

_They didn't deserve to die because of me._

She felt guilty. Derek knew that guilt. Hell, he still lived with that guilt every day. If he could save the teenaged girl from a fraction of the guilt he thought she was feeling he would.

"What if that makes her want to help more?" Scott had a valid point. Cameron would never willingly take the role of the damsel in distress. She'd try and take the role she always took. She'd be her own savior. But for her own benefit he'd keep her away from anything werewolf just to ensure _he_ kept her safe.

"It doesn't matter, she stays out of this."

Derek would keep his promise and keep Cameron safe.

* * *

**Finally I got over the writers block! Hope you like this chapter, it's kind of a filler but I wanted another Derek POV and his thoughts about the Bennett's death and such. Glad you guys liked the Camrek interactions in the last chapter but OMG Stiles/Cameron friendship development?! WHAT? Anyways I hope you guys had a fun/ safe Halloween because I know I did. (I was a zombie)**

**Thanks to my disciples who followed/ favorited/ reviewed. I love you all because holy crap 13 reviews?! And shhh don't be jealous of my writing at all. (but thank you)**

**Q: Where the hell was Isaac?**

**A: He didn't go to the party (obviously) but he has Daddy issues what can I say guys.**

**Q: Other POVs other than Derek and Cam?**

**A: EEEEE I never even thought of it because I may be able to portray a character accurately I'm not sure I can say the same for writing _as _another character. You feel me? But if it's something you want I can see what I can do.**

**Q: Cameron and the Bite?**

**A: Just know that my goal is to string along Cameron finding out what she is and questioning whether what she is will kill her if she gets the bite. It won't be anytime soon I can assure you that.**

**Q: Confusion on Cam kicking her captor after finding John and Mary-Anne**

**A: It was actually Scott pulling her away from the murder scene because she was screaming her head off and he's a little cutie pie and tries to help. That's just kinda what happens when people touch Cameron, she no likey. Sorry I didn't explain that very well in the previous chapter :(**

**Q: Why didn't Derek play Cameron's knight in shining leather and come to the freaking rescue?**

**A: No profound answer for this but it just wouldn't have worked with my plot line. Scott needed to find Cameron so he could become aware of her living conditions and offer to let her live with him. With the two of them living under the same roof works because I'm secretly the Alpha with devious plans. Kidding (not really)**


	15. Chapter 15

There were a lot of things I consistently looked forward to but never did I think attending school would top that list. It was only Saturday and I couldn't wait for the blissful distraction that was high school. My eagerness to go back had nothing to do with staying with the McCall's. It was the circumstances which caused me to stay with them in the first place.

If the Alpha hadn't wanted John and Mary-Anne dead the McCall's would have stayed ignorant to my living condition prior to shaking up with them. Oh yeah. Jim made if painfully clear as to what Melissa McCall was getting herself into when she decided to take me in, the good, the bad and the ugly. I had yet to be kicked out, so I guess I had to take that as a good sign right? But it did little to nothing to ease the growing stress I was feeling from the cops. I couldn't help the fact both my parents and foster parents were killed in similar manors, but according to the cops it made me a suspect to a possible murder. Did I mention I was being housed by my friend's mother on good faith?

Both Mrs. McCall and Scott had been a good sport when they were informally being questioned by Sheriff Stilinski. I guess dragging his son's friend and his mother to the station would have looked bad. Basic questions were asked. Did you know what was going on in the Bennett residence? Do you have any idea why I would want to murder my foster parents? Do you understand the implications of housing a suspect of a murder? Albeit that was more of a question between Mrs. McCall and the Sheriff on a personal level but I digress.

I couldn't blame either Scott or Mrs. McCall for answering as honestly as they could. Scott had told the Sheriff he had been worried for my wellbeing when he'd overheard a private conversation between me and Ben. Scott's mom had related the results of my impromptu checkup. I had healing bruises and Mama McCall thought I was a little underweight. If I wanted to be politically correct she had said I was _malnourished_. But with both of their statements it still wasn't enough for the police to determine a motive, forcing the Sheriff to let me walk free. Though I was sure he was going to keep tabs on me until the autopsy concluded it was an animal attack.

"I'll be back. I'm going to the grocery store, do you want anything?" Scott's sudden question draws me out of my thoughts while I sat alone at the kitchen counter.

"Can I come with?" I ask eager to get out for a little while. Scott purses his lips and quickly shakes his head.

"I kinda want to go alone, to clear my head."

I nod quickly, feeling a swell of guilt. "Sure, okay. Do you think you could get some milk?"

"Yeah sure." Scott nods before shutting the front door behind himself. I couldn't blame him for not wanting to deal with me. If I were him I wouldn't want to deal with me either.

Mrs. McCall padded into the kitchen donning her mint green hospital scrubs. "You hungry?" I shake my head politely.

"No thanks I'm okay."

Mrs. McCall places a plate of cookies in front of me as she rests her elbows on the counter clearly not taking no as an answer. "Scott used to love these cookies when he was little." She muses as she bites into a cookie of her own. Following her lead, I quickly grab a cookie and nibble on it attentively.

"Mrs. McCall, I was thinking while I'm staying here I should get a job. You know to help out."

"First of all, call me Melissa." Melissa licks crumbs from the corners of her mouth before continuing. "Second of all, don't even think about it. You're a guest."

"I know I just want to help pitch in until you and Jim decide what you want to do with me."

Melissa sets down her uneaten portion of her chocolate chip cookie. "And what do you want Cameron?"

I was a little taken aback by the question. In the ten years I'd been in foster care no one had ever asked me what _I _wanted. It was almost…liberating but I didn't know how to answer. I'd never been given a choice in where I lived. It was chosen for me. "I…I'd like to stay in Beacon Hills if that's okay." Melissa nods slightly as if expecting the answer. "But I understand if I can't."

"And why's that?" Melissa asks with a sad smile. I was beginning to feel I was failing an unspoken test I so desperately needed to pass.

"Well I can't afford to look back. It would suck if I had to leave after I just started making friends but I wouldn't have any other choice so I'd have to leave these people behind." I shrug as I crumble my unfinished cooking on the plate with my finger.

"Well I've talked to your social worker and you can stay for the time being. But it seems like our current predicament isn't the only thing troubling you." I sighed knowing it was true. I'd also had Derek Hale on the mind.

"It's nothing really, just this guy I know." I say dismissively. Melissa squeals excitedly and rests her chin in her hands, eagerly waiting for me to continue.

"Keep going."

"We get along well, kind of. I mean I like talking to him because I don't really have to censor what I say because he's…a pretty understanding guy but we argue a lot. Y'know? Like we can't have a decent conversation without one of us ruining it."

Melissa nods sagely with a smile playing at her lips. "Well I'm no expert, obviously but isn't that how most relationships are these days? I love you one second then it's I hate you don't speak to me."

"I wouldn't say it's like that at all, he's just a friend."

"Right now?" She asks with a hopeful smile. I laugh and shake my head.

"Nah I think it'll be just friends."

"If you say so." Melissa smiles coyly as she heads back up the stairs to finish getting ready for her night shift at Beacon Hills Hospital.

After Melissa left for her shift I waited around for Scott to return. It had been an hour since he left and I was beginning to wonder if he even went to the grocery store like he said he was. I called several times only to be redirected to Scott's irritating voicemail. He was forwarding my calls. That fucker.

I retreated to the guest bedroom. It was pretty bare in terms of decorations but it actually had a bed frame for the mattress so that was a plus in my eyes. But it's not like I'd even used the bed yet. I actually hadn't slept since I'd gotten ready at Lydia's house Friday afternoon.

Maybe it was a little arrogant of me but I heaved myself out of my window and out onto the roof wondering if I'd get to repeat Friday night and Derek would just show up. I don't know why I was as upset as I was when he didn't show. I know that I'm not his responsibility or anything but still.

"Cam, you on the roof?" Scott's voice calls from the window.

"Yeah come on up!" I call back. There was scuffling and several strings of curses from Scott as he not so gracefully heaved himself up to the roof.

"I have no idea how you get up here so easily."

"You're just clumsy even with your supposed enhanced agility." Scott laughs nervously. It was obvious he still felt uncomfortable openly talking about what he was.

"Yeah I guess."

"Oh did you get the milk?" I ask. Scott sighs with realization as he runs his hand through his mop of hair.

"I dropped the bottle on the way to car and it rolled under the cars and I never found it." I was a little disappointed but I couldn't be too upset about it.

"Oh okay." I glance at the house across the street. It looked so strange seeing it closed off with yellow tape when just a few days ago I was living there. "Oh and I called your cell thanks for forwarding my calls you dick."

"I broke my phone." Scott says with a sheepish shrug.

"The anger is strong in this one." I say with a lackluster yawn.

"Tired?"

"I can't sleep." I shrug glancing back at the empty house. I see Scott from the corner of my eye watching me as if I might break.

"You don't have to be afraid if that's what's keeping you up." He has an earnest smile on his face like he has every intention on keeping me safe.

"I just don't have my sleeping meds." Scott nods his head like that's what he meant all along.

"Oh, yeah of course."

"So how are you going to text your cutie pie if you broke your phone?" Since I'd been here all Scott had really done was text and call Allison and I've been here for less than 24 hours.

"I'm going to go over to her house and, well let her know it's broken."

"I thought she was grounded because he got busted for being drunk when her parents came home?" Allison had been trashed as far as I could remember before my memory got fuzzy. Let's face it though, Allison is a lightweight.

"She's grounded because the backyard was trashed."

"Oh." I watch as Scott stands on the roof with tensing muscles.

"I should go over there." Just to show off Scott jumps off the roof a newfound grace.

"Show off." I mutter under my breath fully aware he can still hear me. Scott chuckles as he gets in the car and drives off.

It felt weird being alone in the house. There wasn't much I could do to keep myself occupied. My guitar was on lock down across the street so that was out. Homework was just a big fat no but even if I wanted to do it I couldn't because it was on lock down too. I rummaged through the closet hoping to find something to amuse myself with. Luckily I found a pull up bar under a heap of Scott's old clothes.

As I was installing the pull up bar to the closet door frame my phone began ringing. I decided to ignore it until I was but it just _kept ringing._ Of course the annoying caller just so happened to be Lydia freaking Martin.

"Hello?" I say putting the phone on speaker and slid it on the small shelf inside the closet.

"_Finally you answered!" _Lydia's voices billowed out of the speaker. _"I heard what happened are you okay?"_

"Yeah just a little shaken up but I'm dealing." She couldn't see it but I shrugged before jumping up to reach the handles. I began pulling myself up waiting for Lydia to begin her prattling.

"_Well that's good I was so worried especially you being drunk with that guy who knows what could have _happened_." _I groaned as she mentioned Derek.

"He just sobered me up and drove me home." I could hear Lydia laughing on her end of the phone.

"_Sure because that's exactly what I saw last night." _Derek Hale you lying fuck. _"I mean I was just as trashed after playing battle shots but I know a steamy make out session when I see one."_

"Wait, _what?_" I screech. I was so taken aback I lose grip and fall back to my feet.

"_Yeah like, you were all over each other. Wait was that Henley?"_

I run a hand over my face. Of course shit like this happens when I'm shitfaced drunk. What was worse Derek was too embarrassed to even say anything.

"_Cameron you okay?"_

"Yeah I'm fine." I lie. A soft thud comes from Scott's bedroom. I don't remember footsteps up the stairs so I quickly bound towards the window to check for the car. It wasn't there. "Hold on." I say into the speaker not aware I'd cut of Lydia's rambling.

I poke my head out the door. "Scott?" I felt utterly ridiculous as I called out into the dark hallway. Obviously no one answered back. I reached into my bag that I had hanging on the doorknob and pull out a switch blade. It may not do much against anything supernatural but at least I felt safer.

"_Can I continue now?" _Lydia questions with an agitated huff.

"Sure thing princess." I roll my eyes as I tuck my legs into a sitting position on the bed.

"_As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I'm trying to come up with an interesting plot for NaNoWriMo."_

"What in the hell is nano… whatever?" The voice on the other end groans in frustration. Maybe she already explained this. Whoops.

"_It's this writing competition where you have to write an entire novel in a month."_

"Sounds nerdy." I say as I repetitively flip open the blade and snap it shut once more. "But what are going to write about?"

"_Clearly you weren't paying attention when I said when I was inspired by the quote, 'Do not make homes out of people. This will leave you homesick and sad, missing arms that cannot hold roofs, hearts with shaky foundations.'"_

Maybe it was bad to admit I could relate to the quote but I guess that was why Lydia was asking for my help for her nerdy novel. "I am the lost. I am the reckless and wild youth. I am the misguided ghost meandering down my own spiraling path of destruction. And for those unfortunate enough to cross my path, I am truly sorry because now I am told that this is life and pain is just a simple compromise so we can get what we want out of it. And maybe we are all like this in some small way but would someone care to classify our broken hearts and twisted minds so I can find someone to rely on."

"_Wow…that was really good. Who said that so I can use them as a reference?" _in the background I could hear Lydia furiously type away.

"I did right now. I thought you wanted my help?" I absent mindedly twirled my hair around my finger as I glance out the window for Scott's return. I've lasted this long with paranoia and it sure didn't fail me now.

"_Who knew you could be so…philosophically intelligent."_ Lydia mused and even though I couldn't see I was fairly certain she was smirking.

"And you Lydia Martin can suck my nonexistent dick." I growl into the phone speaker.

"_There's the Cammy I know!"_

"Bitch." I laugh into the phone.

"_Whore." _

I hear more creaking coming from Scott's room which sets me on edge again. I glance out the window for what must have been the thousandth time tonight. This time I see the beat up old car parked in the driveway. Across the hall in Scott's room I hear a startled scream. I jump from the bed in panic. "Hey I'm actually pretty tired I'll call you later okay?" I don't even wait for a reply before I hang up the phone and trade it for the switchblade.

As quietly as I could manage I walk down the hall with bare feet towards Scott's door. I flipped open the blade readying myself foe whatever it is I might find on the other side. _Scott you big idiot you better not be dead._ Before I could swing open the door I find Derek fucking Hale on the other side. Of course he's here. He seems surprised to find me outside the door, even more surprised to find me outside the door _with a knife._ Seeing him after what Lydia had told me makes me suddenly nervous to be around him. It's a feeling I'd never really experienced before and I hate it. I'm only able to meet his gaze for a moment before I have to drop it immediately.

"What are you doing?"

I look down at the switch blade and seriously contemplate stabbing Derek in the stomach for the hell of it. He'd heal eventually when I was done with him right? I wave the knife slightly so both Derek and Scott, who was peering over Derek's shoulder, could see. "Can't blame me for being a little cautious."

"That's a weapon. That's…that's illegal." Scott dumbly realizes. At least he had a high moral standing.

"It's only illegal if it's bigger than the size of my palm." I flick the blade open and lay it down against my palm. A small sliver of the blade extended past my palm. "Well, it's only a little illegal."

Scott pushes past Derek so now we stood face to face. "_Only a little illegal?_ Cameron you brought a knife into my house! What if my mom finds it?"

"Coming from a werewolf that's rich! But can you blame me for wanting to protect myself? And you should be a happy all I have is a dingy little knife because believe me when I say I've thought about stealing an anti-werewolf gun from the Argents and trust me I've thought about it more than once tonight." I push myself closer getting in Scott's face. I was getting angry and usually that led to stupid decisions. Scott's mouth was agape with horrified surprise.

I make a swift about face and stalk back to the guest bedroom and I could just _feel _Derek trailing behind me. I ignore him to the best of my ability as I work my way around the room grabbing the things I needed for a shower.

"Someone's angry." Derek muses with a smirk as he languidly leans against the doorframe, which was the only way for me to leave the room. I had my back to him so I tucked my chin on my shoulder to look back at him. The moment our eyes lock I shoot him the most venomous glare I could muster. Normally the glare would cause normal people to recoil but this was Derek. All he did was raise a fucking brow.

"Why didn't you say anything?" I ask with my voice dangerously low.

"Well, if I'd known you start waving a knife around I would have told you I was here." He says with a smile in his voice. I could hear the slight smugness in it as well.

"You know that's not what I mean." I whip around to find him directly in front of me. "I asked you if I did anything stupid and you said no. You lied." I stab his chest with an accusatory finger.

"To find out from Lydia of all people that I literally threw myself at you is embarrassing enough but to know you didn't say anything is worse!"

"I tried stopping you long before your friend showed up." Derek says as he grabs my hand that was still wailing his chest. "You were drunk. You didn't know what you were doing."

"Fine but next have the balls to admit to it."

"I don't have anything to admit to." Derek says defiantly.

"If you don't want to be at fault you shouldn't have kissed me back." I growl as grab my stuff. I brush past him and lock the bathroom door behind me.

In an angry flurry I purposely blare _Howl _by Florence and the Machine just to get under Derek's skin. After I stripped down and step in the shower do I realize my emotions, heartbeat and pretty much everything a werewolf and detect is truly my own for the moment. Under the loud music and running water my heartbeat must have been undetectable. This was also when I realized _I _kissed _Derek Hale_ and _he kissed back. _

Maybe the shower wasn't a good place to imagine myself kissing Derek but it was the only place I didn't have to keep a conscious effort of my heartbeat. And boy did my heart rate go haywire at the thought of Derek's large hands possessively raking down the expanse of my body. His stubble tickling at the sensitive skin of my neck as he left a trail of hungry kisses down to my collarbone. Maybe he even nipped at my supple skin while he was at it. My hands lazily running themselves through Derek's soft black hair until the tips of my fingers lost the sense of touch all together.

I knew it would be foolish of me to imagine any of this happening between Derek and I but that was the best part. It did happen between us. Perhaps not to the extent of what my imagination could conjure but it happened nonetheless. It happened and I was too drunk to remember it. And maybe I should have been upset Derek had in a sense taken advantage but I just couldn't bring myself to care because it just added to the allure of it. I knew the kiss had been a mistake on both parts, perhaps more on Derek's part than mine. But again, I didn't care because I kissed Derek Hale.

And even if I didn't remember it, I liked it.

* * *

**Insomniac moments lead to writing all weekend for a new update. Love me when I don't sleep guys because when I don't sleep you benefit. My teachers don't because why write a paper on The Great Gatsby when I can write Camrek dickery? **

**Both Cameron and Derek need serious communication skill because they suck as admitting shit to each other and in the end they piss each other off. And we all know I love writing that. And never fear if I don't update because of writers block. I am aware when many fall into the abyss that is writing frustrations they give because _writing is hard. _Wild Youth is my baby so I will stay faithful to it because I do have so much planned for this story and I want to actually finish a story. I'm happy you guys liked the last chapter because I was anxious to get something out to you guys as quickly as I could so you got Horoscope readings with Camrek. I love love love that you guys like Camrek dynamic because I am trying to make this budding relationship as three dimensional as possible, so am glad my effort aren't for naught.**

**Q: How did you come up with the idea of adding Cameron to this story? **

**A: I could rant on how Cameron was born forever but if you want a short and sweet answer here it is. I always like how Teen Wolf uses controversial topics and real issues. And I've always been interested on what the affects of foster care would do to a developing mind. Thus creating a protagonist who is untrusting to a limited few (Ben). I wanted my protagonist to be strong but also like an onion in a sense and as the seasons progress I'd like to consistently peel back the layers until we all find out who Cameron would have been if her parents hadn't died. I could have done multiple different pairing but Derek and Cameron worked out the best in my eyes because they're both lost and in finding each other they'll find themselves. My true inspiration for writing derived from season three in more than one scene I'd explain more but I wouldn't want to give anything away. My original plot for Cameron has changed slightly due to the inspiration I've gotten from you guys. An example being Cameron and Lydia were never intended to be this close of friends but because everyone loved their dynamic I played with it more and If I want to chalk it down to a professional answer it could have been under Ben's influence because Cameron would do _anything_ for her brother. And if he wants her to make friends and try to participate you bet your ass she will. I'm rambiling now like I knew I would but I hope I at least _attempted _to answer this question.**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed/ favorited/ followed I love you all. Especially the reviewer who want to see certain things in this because this story is ultimately for you guys and the majority of the requests I absolutely love and write them anyway.**

**Now for a few questions of my own. How many of you would want Cam to become a werewolf and who wouldn't? Also just because I'm curious do any one you fangirl when I post? Because I fangirl when I read your reviews :)**


	16. Chapter 16

Do you ever have those mornings were you wake up feeling like you're on top of the world and can do anything you set your mine to? You just wake up knowing that today is your day? You feel as though you can kick ass and take names all while you feel fabulous? Well, today was not one of those days. At least it wasn't for me. It mostly had to do with that fact I didn't have any clothes, that and I was still sort of pissed at Derek.

I contemplated walking across the street and getting my clothes but I was above breaking into a crime scene. I did have _some_ class after all. I was not however above walking into Scott's room while he showered to get a change of clothes. I nabbed a pair of navy sweats and an oversized grey sweater. I brushed out the wild, sleep induced mop I liked to call my hair and tied it off in a bun. In other words I looked like shit, but at least I was comfortable whilst looking like shit.

I trotted down the stairs to find Scott dressed and ready for school eating a bowl of cinnamon toast crunch for breakfast. "Morning."

"Mo'ning" Scott said mid-chew.

"Charming." I mutter as bite into the flesh of an apple. The kitchen is quite minus the sounds of our chewing and it's nice. Almost like a family breakfast.

Scott abruptly clears his throat as he swirls his spoon around in his bowl. "So, you and Derek huh?"

I feel my cheeks redden defiantly as my heart rate blips. "Please don't make me use my illegal weapon on you." Scott smiles stupidly as he raises his hands in surrender

"Just trying to make conversation and besides I swiped your knife while you were sleeping."

"Creepy and so rude." I mutter as I toss the apple core in the trash bin.

"And so not sorry." I stick my tongue out at Scott who laughed and rolled his eyes.

"Okay, anyways Stiles is picking me up for school do you need a ride?" Scott asks as he walks over to this sink to dump his milk.

"No thanks Lydia texted me this morning to tell me she's picking me up."

"Let's just hope they don't get here at the same time because I'm pretty sure Stiles would have a heart attack." Scott chuckles.

As if on cue the honk of two familiar horns blare out on the street. Scott and I exchange a look as we grab our stuff and head out the door. From just walking down the drive I can tell Lydia is annoyed and Stiles is shamefully staring at Lydia.

"See you at school!" I call over my shoulder as I trot over to the black Beetle.

"What on Earth are you wearing?" Lydia questions in a voice full of disgust as I readjust my seatbelt. "Those aren't the clothes I gave you."

"I'm aware Lydia but seeing as all my belongings are in an ongoing crime scene I don't have any of my stuff." I mutter as Lydia purses her lips in thought.

"We have thirty minutes before we have to be at school."

"And? I ask wary to find out where this was heading,

"And, we're going back to my place because I _refuse _to be seen with you dressed like _that._" Lydia says as she shoots the oversized sweats a glare. It wasn't my fault they had holes everywhere. "Maybe we can even stop at Starbucks." I nodded not really sure about the Starbucks idea. Like I'd ever had the money to buy a cup of coffee before.

"Lydia I am not wearing this." I examine the outfit Lydia all but forced me into. It consisted of a maroon skater skirt that was a little too short for my likings as well as a… bralet? It was a glorified version of a bra basically. The only thing I really felt comfortable with were the sheer black tights that Lydia suggested because she thought they would make my legs look hot. Oh and the boots, boots are always good.

"You look good." Lydia says as she tries adding a black bow to my messy bun before giving up altogether.

"I look like a whore." If the circumstances were different I might have rocked this outfit but I wasn't sure if I wanted to bare my scars.

"If the shoe fits sweetheart, flaunt it." I shot Lydia a pout hoping she'd give me something else to wear. "No pouting, let's go." I wait for Lydia to lead the way out of re room before throwing Scott's sweater back on.

We didn't end up making a coffee run but we did however arrive 10 minutes late to first period English. Another thing to add to the list of reasons why Mr. Mags hates me with the intensity of 10 burning suns. Whoops.

It wasn't until free period that I realized that I was actually trying to be friends with Isaac Lahey and he never showed up to the party. I heard several grunts and groans as I rounded the corner towards the library. I recognized a couple of the first string lacrosse players absolutely wailing on some poor kid on the floor. Greenburg landed a swift kick to the kid's stomach. Given that I myself have endured this by a plethora of foster parents I got more than a little angry.

"Greenburg you little dick bag leave him alone." The poor kid looks up to see who it was defending him. I catch his eye and realize its Isaac. Now I was fucking pissed.

"Isaac get up and go to the nurse." It took a lot of self-control not to lose my cool right then and there.

"C-Cameron, it's fine."

"_Go."_ I clench my jaw as I stare down Greenburg. I wait until I don't hear Isaac's clumsy foot falls.

"Aw come on we we're just having fun." Greenburg smirks as his lacrosse buddies pat him on the shoulder.

"Go near him again and I'll destroy you." I shoot him the same glare I gave Derek but unlike Derek, Greenburg blanched. I turn to walk away pleased with my threats.

"I didn't think the murdering orphan Annie cared so much about losers." Greenburg's stinging words stop me in my place. His idiotic buddies make a collective 'oohing'. My heart clenches as I ball my fists. In one swift motion I turn and connect my fist to Greenburg's face, taking a sick sense of pleasure when I hear something crunch under my fist. When I retract my fist from Greenburg's face I see a pool of blood surround his nose. A sick smirk plays at the corner of my lips as I realize the loud crunching sound belonged to Greenburg's nose as I broke it.

"Hey, hey, hey! What's going on here?" A familiar booming voice yells. Shit. I knew that voice. Coach Finstock marched up to the growing crowd. I just broke a lacrosse player's nose. I broke _Finstock's player's nose._ I really needed to think before I swung.

"This bitch broke my nose!" Greenburg's cries were muffled as his hands delicately clutched his nose as blood began to ooze from the crevices of his fingers.

"I can see that cupcake. I'd like to know why?" The coach asks as he attempts to keep his rising anger from his tone.

"He's an insufferable tool." I dead pan.

Finstock heaves a sigh and rakes his hand down his face. "I don't even care. You're doing suicide runs until you bleed. Got that Bane?"

"I like running." I counter defiantly.

"Detention after school!" Finstock's threats only get a shrug from me. A wicked smile forms on the eccentric coach's mouth. "With Harris."

Fuck.

"Greenburg get to the nurse's office and do something about _that._" Finstock says with a look of disgust on his face as he motions wildly at Greenburg's bloody face. "And you better be at Harris' detention after school today."

I wait for the coach to leave before grabbing a handful of Greenburg's ugly sweater and slam him against the locker set. "I swear if you go near anyone I talk to, even if you know for a fact I despise them, I'll kill you. I will learn how to play Double Dutch with your intestines, do I make myself clear?" I grow venomously as I glare into Greenburg's eyes.

"You psychotic bitch." Greenburg curses as he pushes me off of him.

The corner of my mouth quirks upward slightly. "You have no idea."

Greenburg doesn't stick around much longer as he stalks off in the opposite direction of the nurse's office. I wanted to take it as a leap of faith he still assume Isaac was still in there.

Speaking of Isaac, I needed to find him.

I didn't really care that my hand was throbbing from making much deserved contact with an asshole's face. I needed to make sure Isaac was okay. I round the corner in a hurry and collide with a body.

"Cameron why is there blood on your hands?" Ben suddenly asks.

"Well I could be a smart ass and say the girl's bathroom ran out of soap." I shrug as I look down at my left hand to see a smeared stain of scarlet. Ben's face contorts into one of much deserved disgust.

"Okay, how about an actual answer?"

"I may or may not have broken Greenburg's nose." Maybe if I avoid eye contact I won't get yelled at.

"_Cameron!_" Nope he was still going to yell. "You can do stuff like that, not anymore, especially after Rom-"

"I got it okay? No fucking up." I snap growing on the defensive. I didn't need a reminder that I once spiraled out of control with the help of the wrong crowd.

"I'm just trying to make sure you stay in Beacon Hills okay? I need you just as much as you need me, Cam-I-am."

"I'll see you at lunch okay? There's just someone I'm trying to find." I try brushing him off in a hurry to find Isaac.

"The boy you were swapping spit with?" My cheeks flush scarlet with mortification. Lydia is so dead. Dead I tell you. Dead.

"_NO!_" I can hear Ben chuckle hysterically as I make my way down the hallway. "Go back to class you ass wipe!"

"LOVE YOU SIS!"

Take me now.

I check in the nurse's office to find a glowering Greenburg telling the nurse how he was brutally attacked by a group of guys. What a baby. The only other place I knew to look for Isaac was the library. And lo and behold there he was stacking books on the shelves.

"Are you alright?" I question as I march up to the taller boy. My sudden approach causes him to flinch slightly.

"I-I'm fine, really." He turns to face me and I notice a yellowing bruise under his eye. My jaw clenches again.

"That one's old." Isaac touches under his right eye, wincing slightly. "How often does Assburg wail on you?"

"Not that often." Isaac quickly dismisses with a slight smile.

"Well it is shouldn't be a problem anymore because I took care of it." Isaac's brow creases in confusion as he glances down at my blood stained hand. Realization dawns on Isaac's face.

"Cameron you shouldn't have-"

"It's fine. What I'm curious to know is why you ditched me at the party" I ask giving Isaac's shoulder a light, playful shove. "I thought we were going to be partners in crime and dick around?"

"I'm sorry I couldn't go… something came up." Something told me that wasn't the whole truth but something in Isaac's expression tells me to drop it. For now.

"…Okay. Do you need help re-stacking the shelves?"

And that was my morning. It was blissfully human and free of werewolf dickery. And I would have chalked it up to being an out of the ordinary good day but it wasn't until around fourth period Chemistry did I realize Scott and his usual partner in crime were avoiding me. So of course that tipped me off.

"So any reason why you and Cujo aren't speaking to me today?" I question as Stiles slips into his stool.

"Other than the fact you're making out with one of our big problems?" Stiles quips as he titles his page of notes for the day. I narrow my eyes at him in annoyance. How did he of all people find out about my drunken encounters? Scott who must have been eaves dropping, turned to look at us. Stiles dodged any eye contact with his friend as slyly as possible.

"Okay so any reason why _you_ and Cujo aren't speaking today?" I glance at Scott, whose smile withered as Stiles continued to ignore him.

"Because he's housing our biggest problem, you." Stiles turns and levels his glare at me.

"Ouch. Tell me how you really feel." I say with a mock hurt expression as I clamp my hand over my heart for effect.

"You're the Alpha's toy and Scott's dumbass is housing you."

"And you think I like being an Alpha wild card? Let me help."

"And why would you want to do that?" Stiles questions nervously as he taps his pen on his paper.

"Because that's why I got involve in the first place, because I don't want to be the Alpha's rag doll." I smile ruefully as I write my name on the worksheet Harris had passed out. "I'd personally like to make the Alpha a wolfsbane cocktail and pour it down his throat. Then as he chokes on his own poison potion, I want to ask him if it tastes like battery acid."

Stiles narrows his eyes, trying to figure out if I was serious of not. "You have serious issues but we don't need your help."

"We?"

"Scott doesn't want you to get involved." In the front of the room I notice Scott go stiff. Obviously there was more to this than them not wanting my help. They were hiding something. And I wanted to know what that something was.

Knowing Scott was listen I ripped a sheet of paper from the back of my spiral notebook and in my messy scrawl I wrote a message for Stiles.

_Tell me what's going on and I'll convince Harris to switch us as lab partners._

I slide the note over to Stiles, who stares down at the note in disbelief. Rule one in negotiating; make the reward worth the risk. If it's the reward is worth it, you can have anything you want.

_How?_

_Harris takes pity on Orphan Annie, plus Danny owes me a favor._

Stiles bites the inside of his cheek in thought. Come on, it's worth it. Give me what I want. Almost reluctantly Stiles reaches for the paper and scribbles something down.

_Your boyfriend told Scott to keep you out of anything relating to 'Animals'._

I _so _regret not repeatedly stabbing Derek. I didn't even care Scott and Derek were holding super-secret boy band meetings, what pissed me the fuck off was Derek had the nerve to make a decision for me. I didn't care if it was in my best interest to take a step back because I wanted the Alpha dead just as badly as Derek did. I wanted to be there for every step of the way. I wanted to watch as the Alpha's world crumble.

I'd remained in my angered tantrum until lunch rolled around. The silver lining for the day being I was now lab partners with Isaac and Stiles with Danny. Everyone was happy now, well except Danny.

I would have sat through lunch contently tuning out the endless babble of chatter if it hadn't been for Allison talking about her family history.

Shit.

"The what of who?" Lydia asked with confusion.

"The beast of Gevaudan. Listen," Allison said before looking down at her book, "A quadruped wolf-like monster, prowling the Auvergne and South Dordogne areas of France during the years 1794 to 1797. Le bête killed over a hundred people, becoming so infamous that King Louis XV sent one of his best hunters to try and kill it."

Lydia and I exchanged wary glances, "Boring."

Allison continued reading aloud, "Even the church eventually declared the monster a messenger of Satan."

"Hmm. Still boring." Lydia hummed

"Cryptozoologists believe it may have been a subspecies of hoofed predator, possibly a mesonychid."

"Slipping into a coma bored." Lydia muttered into her peas.

I rolled my eyes at the strawberry blonde, "Keep reading Allison."

Allison smiled whilst continuing. "While others believe it was a powerful sorcerer who could shape-shift into a man-eating monster."

"How does this relate to your family history?" I asked.

"This: it was believed that la bête was finally trapped and killed by a renowned hunter who claimed his wife and four children were the first to fall prey to the creature. His name was Argent."

I went stiff, does that mean they were already training my doe eyed friend to be a werewolf huntress? Or here's to hoping she thought this was a twisted folk legend.

"Your ancestors killed a big wolf. So what?" Lydia said dismissively.

"Not just a big wolf. Take a look at this picture," Allison flipped the book so we could look. "What does it look like to you guys?"

The eyes were the first thing I noticed, she was right; it wasn't just a big wolf. It was an alpha.

"Well?" Allison asked, "What does it look like?"

"It looks…like a big…wolf." Lydia smirked.

I looked across the room to where Scott and Stiles were sitting. Scott was peaking behind his World History book but he was still listening to what his girlfriend was reading. I was going to use this moment to poke fun at Scott's predicament because that what you get for lying.

"What if it was just clinical lycanthropy?" I questioned. Lydia raised a brow as she chewed he food. "What? I know things. I read… sometimes."

"Clinical…lycanthropy?" Allison asked confused.

"Well in the 1700's a lot of folk lore is based off of diseases that were going around right? So what if this la bête is someone who suffered from clinical lycanthropy?" I looked over at Scott who was simply glaring. I smiled.

"What's clinical lycanthropy?" Allison asked.

"Clinical lycanthropy is defined as a rare psychiatric syndrome that involves a delusion that the affected person can transform into, has transformed into, or is a non-human animal. Its name is connected to the mythical condition of lycanthropy, a supernatural affliction in which humans are said to physically shape-shift into wolves." Lydia defined, clearly bored of this conversation.

"So you don't believe in the story?" Allison said a little deflated.

"I'm sure there's some truth to it but I don't really believe in man eating messengers from Satan." I shrugged.

Lydia laughed, "You are too much Cam, and anyways I'll see you guys in History."

I watched as Lydia trotted away and Allison settled back into her History project. I sighed, not having anything to occupy my time.

"Scott?" Allison called out.

I looked up to see my idiot friend running in the opposite direction.

"I'll catch up with you later okay Cam?" Allison said picking up her books. "Scott, wait!"

I gathered my own stuff and followed after Stiles, who was at his locker.

"What's Scott's deal?" I asked.

"He has to stay away from Allison until he can get his 'clinical lycanthropy' under control." Stiles smirks.

"Well if she ever finds out, she's going to think he's schizophrenic." I rolled my eyes.

"Do you have a free period next?" Stiles asked ignoring my schizo comment.

"No why?" I asked.

"I have a plan to help Scott and I could use some help." Stiles admits as he shoulders his backpack.

"What do you need?" Stiles' face lights up with surprise. It's not like I was exactly welcomed to help on the werewolf end, so I'd help on the human end of things.

"Well I need one of the track team's heart rate monitor and the coach's phone." Stiles scratched the back of his neck, wondering how to pull this off.

"Oh!" I reach into the pocket of my bag and pull out a heart monitor. "Here you go."

"Did you steal this from the team?" Stiles demands as he pockets the monitor.

"Temporarily misappropriated." I give a noncommittal shrug as I inspect my nails. "Do you have a plan on getting Finstock's phone?"

"No but I figured that's where you'd come in." Stiles admits as he shoves the heart monitor into his backpack. A smile tugs at the corners of my lips that causes Stiles to pale. "No, no, no! I've seen that smile and with you it typically means leaving trouble in your wake. Or hurting me."

"Do you want my help or not?" I ask, though I already know the answer would be yes.

Stiles wasn't eager to agree to my plan but we were running out of time and this was all we had to work with. I also just revenge on Greenburg, for Isaac of course. "Don't go into his office to tell him until I call you okay?" I'd been going over the plan with him for the past five minutes just making sure he got it.

"Okay, okay I'll wait for the call."

The plan was simple enough, a little unnecessary but old habits die hard. It was no secret Finstock held a not so secret hatred towards Greenburg for some reason unknown to me but that didn't mean I wouldn't use it to my advantage. 'Greenburg' in a blind rage would take Finstock's car for a joy ride. On my way to the parking lot I stopped at my locker to get a slim Jim car opener.

Finding Finstock's car had been easy enough. All I really had to do was look for a car that was littered with fast food wrappers and containers. I quickly slipped the slim Jim between the weather strip and the glass window and began to wiggle it around until I was sure I got a firm hold on the lock. Carefully wiggling the contraption out, I was met with the lock popping out. I didn't have any of the recommended tools required to hot wire a car so I was pretty much winging it. I quickly rummaged through my bag to find a flat head screw driver. The car predated the 90's so all I needed to get the car running was the screw driver, though it did cause a little bit of damage to the ignition. I rammed the tip of the screw driver into the ignition and proceeded to turn it like a car key. When the car rumbled to life I all but squealed.

I drove out of the teacher's parking and began to drive until I was a good fifteen minutes away from the school. I pulled out an alcohol wipe and wiped down everything I might have touched. I didn't need to get busted for this _again. _I tossed everything that could link me to this and ran back towards the school, dialing Stiles as I jogged back to campus.

"It's done." I hung up before Stiles could respond. I had nagged a discarded soda cup that was still in good condition for an alibi. The security guard that checked off campus passes waved as I walked by. I smiled sweetly as the man as I pretended to take a sip from the straw. As soon as I was out of sight I shivered in disgust and tossed the cup.

"Bane, wait up." I turned to see a paling Jackson. "Let's talk."

"Look, I don't really feel like hearing murdering orphan Annie jokes okay? Especially from you." I turned away from the selfish rich kid who carelessly flaunted the money that oozed from his pockets. He didn't have to flaunt like he felt he had to, I mean was his Porsche not enough?

"That's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about. Are you busy?" Jackson seemed sincere, which by normal standards looked incredibly bored.

"I need to get to class." I reminded.

"Ditch."

I didn't really want to sit and talk to Jackson but I also didn't want to go to Algebra. I knew I'd regret it but I shrugged and followed Jackson's lead.

"So what's this about?" I ask finally as Jackson lead me to the library. I was slightly disappointed Isaac was no longer manning the counter but he did have other classes to go to.

"I heard about what happened to your foster parents. I wanted to say sorry and yeah." Jackson shrugs indifferently.

If that's all he wanted to say, why ask me to ditch? "If you're going to ask if I did it-"

"I don't think you did." The sincerity in Jackson's words startles me. It even made me a little suspicious.

"Why?"

"Lydia trusts you." He rolls his eyes at the admission, which of course surprised me.

"If Lydia trusts me, she doesn't have a very good judge of character." I drum my fingers impatiently on the study corral we'd been sitting at. "Lydia set you up to this didn't she?" Jackson doesn't deny it.

"She thought I should talk to you because I might understand what you're feeling." Jackson's voice his hard and disinterested but yet uncharacteristically hollow.

"We don't have anything in common." I bark.

"My parent's died too." Jackson admits softly. "I was a baby when it happened."

"How long were you in the system for?" I ask faintly. Jackson's brows furled in confusion for a moment.

"A couple of weeks at the most I guess, I'm-I'm adopted." He says it like he's _ashamed_. It makes me angry.

"Then you and I are two completely different people, Jackson. Don't you _dare _think otherwise." I growl dangerously. "Do you know what it feels like to not have anything? Do you know what it feels like to see someone act so selfishly with what they have when you don't even have half of what they do?"

"No, no I don't" Jackson admits solemnly. He can't meet my gaze.

"It's frustrating knowing they can have anything that want when I'm lucky if I get to eat that day. It's like there's no hope, like I'm drowning. You sound so ashamed to admit you're adopted when you don't even realized how lucky you are. You're privileged Jackson. The people taking care of you may not be blood but they so obviously love you, and I'd _kill _to have that. No one cares if you have a nice car or clothes because none of that matters. When you have nothing but family you're humbled but what if you're like me? What if you don't have nice clothes or a nice car? Or any family? Do you know what that makes you?"

Jackson glances up at me with a soft look on his face. "I don't know what does it make you?"

"Desperate." I grabbed my bag and stalked out of the library. If Lydia had meant for this conversation to be uplifting she was sorely mistaken.

"Remind me to never piss you off." Stiles says as he catches up to me.

"Why?" I ask distractedly as we walk towards Finstock's Econ class.

"Finstock was _livid_. Whatever you did to his car he was pretty pissed. I wonder what he'll do in Econ." Oh yeah, Greenburg was in our Econ class. Fun.

"Let's go." Finstock snaps as he drops a stack of books on his desk with a loud thud. "Sit, sit, sit, sit. We have a lot to cover today. _Let's go._" Yep he was still pissed. I settled in to the seat behind Stiles.

"Here, take this." He whispers as he hands me the coach's phone. "Do you think you can slip this on his desk without him noticing?" I nodded as I slipped the phone into my back pocket.

"So how did Werewolf 101 go?" I ask as Stiles intent stare was focused on the whispering couple next to us.

"Anger is definitely a trigger." Stiles mutters. "And he can't be around Allison because she makes him weak."

"That's a little Spartan." I roll my eyes.

"Let's settle down." Finstock grumbles as he smacks a book on the desk to get out attention. "Let's go a quick summary of last night's reading."

From across the room Greenburg, whose face was now bruised, rose his hand. "Greenburg put your stupid hand down, everyone knows you did the reading." Stiles and I collectively snorted in amusement.

"How about, uh… McCall."

"What?" Scott questions dumbly with owlish eyes.

"The reading." The coach reiterates as he leans on his desk.

"Last night's reading?" Scott questions nervously as he stalls for time.

"How about the reading of _The Gettysburg Address_?" A collective laugh fills the room at Finstock's sarcastic remark.

"What?" Scott asks with growing confusion.

"That's sarcasm. You familiar with the term 'sarcasm' McCall?" At this Scott turns to look in our direction and shot Stiles and I a glare.

"Very."

"Did you do the reading or not?" Finstock questions, growing impatient with the dull small talk.

"Um… I think I forgot."

"Nice work McCall. It's not like you're averaging a D in this class." The coach leans forward so only Scott can hear but fails at dropping voice at a whispering level. "Come on buddy, you know I can't keep you on the team if you have a D."

As I watched Scott nervously fidget my ass started beeping. I smack Stiles shoulder. "My ass is beeping."

"You know, there are just some things I don't need to know about you."

I rolled my eyes at Stiles' stupidity. "The heart monitor you dumbass." I pull out the phone and hand it over to Stiles so he can see it.

"How about you summarize the previous night's reading?" Scott shakes his head. "No? How about the night before that? How about you summarize anything you've ever read in your entire life?" I winced at the coach's rising voice. I felt bad for Scott as I watched him flounder.

"I… uh-"

"No? A blog? How about uh, how about, uh, the back of a cereal box? No? How about the adults only warning from your favorite website you visit every night?"

I gaped at the nerve the coach had to yell at his student like that. Yes be upset he didn't do the reading but to make Scott like shit wasn't being a good teacher, it was being a dick. I didn't feel bad for any damage I inflicted on his car anymore.

"Thank you McCall. Thank you." The beeping continues to increase as Finstock pounds his fist against the desk. "Thank you McCall! Thank you for extinguishing any flicker of hope I had for your generation. You just blew it for everybody. Thanks. Next practice you can start with suicide runs. Unless that's too much reading."

Stiles coughs to get my attention and angels the phone screen so I can see the slowing of Scott's heart rate. "He did it."

I glance over at Scott to see he'd visibly relaxed. He turned to look at Allison with a grateful smile. I looked down at their conjoined hands as Allison gives Scott's hand a reassuring squeeze. "Not by himself."

XX

I waltzed into Mr. Harris' detention ten minutes late because detention was fucking pointless. I was surprised to see Scott and Stiles sitting at a lab bench while Harris graded papers in silence. Scott was tending to a bloody nose while Stiles stared at a fixed point with pure hatred.

"So pleased you finally decided to join us Miss Bane." Harris greets without looking up from his stack of ungraded Chemistry tests.

"No problem at all sir." I mock salute as I plop down into a stool behind Scott and Stiles.

"Excuse me sir, I know it's detention and all but, uh, I'm supposed to be at work, and I don't want to get fired." Scott says as he throws down his bloody tissue.

Mr. Harris looks up from his stack of papers, smiles sarcastically and continues his grading. The sass was strong. Scott sighs in annoyance as he continues working on homework.

"You knew I would heal." Scott whispers to Stiles.

"Yep."

"So you did that to help me learn?" It was more of a statement than a question.

"Yep."

"But partially to punish me." Again. Another statement.

"Yeah well that one's obvious."

Did Stiles give Scott give a bloody nose? A plus Stiles.

"Dude, you're my best friend, and I can't have you being angry with me."

Stiles runs his hand over his face. "I'm not angry anymore. Look, Scott you have something. Whether you want it or not, you can do things that nobody else can do. So that means you don't have a choice anymore. It means you have to do something."

"I know and I will." Scott reassures with a nod.

"Alright, all of you out of here." Mr. Harris says as he caps his pen. I grab my belongings as I follow the boys out the door.

"Alright well I'm going to head to the house." I shoulder my bag as I head down the hallway.

"Wait! No one's going to be home, what if the Alpha shows up?" Scott questions with wide eyes. "I'm supposed to keep you safe."

"What exactly do you expect me to do? Go to work with you?" I retort as I cross my arms over my chest.

When I suggested the idea I didn't think Scott would actually go for it. Stiles drove us to the Animal Clinic since Scott's mom had the car.

"Maybe you could help me with the cats?" Scott asks as he pulls open the clinic door.

"Why? I mean I would but cats don't really like me."

Scott's smile turns sheepish. "Cats don't really like me either anymore."

We rounded the corner to find Derek landing a blow to the veterinarian's face. "What are you doing?" Scott exclaimed. Derek looks over at us with a dangerous glint in his eye as punches the vet's face again. "Stop! Stop!"

"Look when he's conscious he can keep himself from healing, but unconscious he can't!" Derek growls with a wild look in his eyes.

"Are you out of your mind? What are you even talking about?" Scott exclaims as he pushes Derek away from his boss.

"Do you want to know what the spiral means Scott? It's our sign for vendetta, for revenge. It means he won't stop killing until he's satisfied." Derek glances over at me quickly. "Every person he's killed has wronged him in some way."

My throat tightened. What had Quentin done or what had John or Mary-Anne done to be killed by an Alpha? How had they wronged an Alpha?

"You think _he's_ the Alpha?" Scott questions in shock.

"We're about to find out." Derek extends his claws and motions to claw the vet's face. I stumble backwards upon seeing Scott fully wolfed out for the first time. My back hit the wall with a thud. I didn't want to admit with I was scared but I was. My heart rate picked up rapidly as Scott growled ferociously. Derek had also taken several steps back.

"Hit him again, and then you'll really see me get angry."

"He-he's the Alpha?" I mentally kicked myself for my voice sounding so shaky.

"No." Scott reassures as his wolfish features disappear. "I'll prove it."

"How?" Derek questions impatiently. I avoid Derek's gaze as he visually checks to see if I'm okay.

"I don't know yet, just stay here. Give me an hour and meet me at the school." Scott ran a hand haphazardly through his hair as he paces the length of the clinic room. "Do you think you can stay here too?" Scott asks as he looks at me.

Great. I was playing babysitter.

"Sure." I nod dejectedly. "I'll make sure your boss stays alive."

At least I'd try to but with my track record I wasn't sure about that.

* * *

Derek was an observer. He liked noticing people's ticks and habits; it was a survival tactic that came in handy. He liked noticing someone's little movements that reflected how they were feeling. Derek's werewolf abilities just made it that much easier to figure people out, like how he'd known the unconscious veterinarian had been lying to him.

Even with Derek's abilities he still couldn't figure out Cameron. Yes, she was a puzzle but at least in conventional puzzles the pieces actually fit. Cameron was just a mess Derek couldn't figure out and he wanted to figure her out. He was beginning to realize Cameron wore a face of many masks, only showing you wanted to see. She could lie and hide from him but there were just some things she just couldn't conceal. A beating heart couldn't lie or hide.

"Derek he's unconscious. Ease up." Cameron snapped as she tended to the veterinarian's split cheek. Derek may or may not have been standing a little too close to ensure that he didn't wake and bite her.

"He could bite you." Her heart rate picked up now that their shoulders were flush against each other as he stood behind her.

"What am I not cool enough to be a part of your super-secret boy band?" Her voice is dripping sarcasm as she gingerly applies two butterfly bandages to the man's cheek.

"Super-secret boy band?"

"In other words you and Scott trying to keep me out of the werewolf issue." Oh.

"Well look how that turned out." Derek bites back with a sarcastic laugh. "And you're tending to the Alpha's wounds."

"Still wasn't for you or Scott to decide." She mutters as she wipes off the rest of the unconscious vet's face with a wet paper towel. "Innocent until proven guilty."

"Besides I don't need you to protect me. I'm pretty good at doing that on my own anyway."

"Well at the party you said something a little differently." Derek couldn't see it but he could hear Cameron's teeth graze against her bottom lip in a nervous lip bite.

"Well if you were smart, you'd remember I don't remember much of that night." She sighed softly as his warm breath washed against her neck. The mask Cameron was wearing like a shield was beginning to crumble.

"We can always jog your memory." Derek says with his voice dropping an octave. Cameron's heat beats wildly in her chest. "You're heart rates picking up."

"Did you ever think you're invading my personal space?" He could have considered it if Cameron's body didn't betray her as she leaned closer into Derek's warmth.

"You sure?" Derek asks as he lets his lips graze across the soft flesh of her shoulder. He could help the smirk that was forming as he felt her shiver slightly against him. It was a wicked game they we're playing but Derek didn't care to think about the consequences because he wanted to win. Even if he didn't know what the prize was.

"Yes." Cameron twists around so they are now face to face. She leans in slightly as if to kiss him. Derek smirks in victory. He'd won without really trying. Just about when they're lips were about to touch Cameron pulls away abruptly.

"We should get going."

Well shit.

Derek was miffed he'd been bested at his own game. So when it came to getting the veterinarian inside the Camaro, he just threw his limp body into the back. Not before he insisted his arms and legs stayed bound and his mouth covered shut with duct tape.

The car ride was spent in stiff silence. Scott had texted Cameron telling her they were already in the school parking lot. Every time Derek cut a glance at Cameron she was idly biting her nails. A habit he noticed Cameron had when she needed a cigarette. Her scent no longer held traces of cloves so Derek assumed she was attempting to knock the habit.

Derek rolled the car into the parking lot and cut the engine. He was about to throw open the door when Cameron's hand slid around his forearm. "Wait." Derek complied as he settles back into his seat. Her hand moves from his arm to give his thigh a firm squeeze that causes him to jolt suddenly. Cameron leans over the consul to whisper something in his ear. "Next time you want to play a game like that give a girl the rule book would ya? Because then it makes everything fair game." A beautifully wicked smile tugs at her lips. "And I don't like playing fair."

With that Derek watches in stunned silence as Cameron thrusts herself out of the car. "Where's my boss?" Scott asks.

"We sold his kidneys to the black market. He's in the bathtub at the clinic with a note telling him to call 911 and if he moves he'll bleed to death." Cameron deadpans as she crosses her arms. Derek found it slightly alarming she knew these kinds of things but didn't dwell on it.

"He's in the back." Derek rolled his eyes as he slammed his door shut. Scott's overly twitchy friend Stiles peered into the backseat.

"He looks comfortable." He sarcastically replied as Scott pulled him in the direction of the school.

"Hey where do you think you're going?" He demands with a huff.

"You said I was linked with the Alpha. I'm going to see if you're right." Scott's voice was flooded with anxiety.

"Why can't I go?" Cameron questions with palpable irritation.

"Because you need to make sure Derek doesn't kill my boss." Cameron frowns as Scott and his friend turn away. Derek rests against the back of the Jeep while Cameron sits on the hood of the Camaro. He watches as she flexes her left hand and winces in pain.

"What happened to your hand?"

"I broke someone's nose at school." She shrugs as if it were no big deal as she rubs her knuckles. Derek pushes off the Jeep and walks over to Cameron. He takes her injured hand in his and without thinking about it he takes away the pain. In result his knuckles felt compressed and swollen before it healed itself.

She opens her mouth to say something but is cut off by the sounds of what sounded like a cat being strangled to death. Of course Derek knew it was Scott making his first attempt at howling.

"You've got to be kidding me." He grimaces. It was almost too painful to listen to.

"What the hell was that? Does Scott think killing a cat is going to bring the Alpha here?"

"Scott's not killing anything but our eardrums and that was his howl."

Cameron snorts. "That's disappointing."

A louder, deeper howl emitted from the PA system. We both looked in horrified surprise in the direction of the school. Derek was going to kill Scott. Scott and Stiles waltzed out of the school with impish grins on their face.

"I'm going to kill both of you!" Derek snaps as he points an accusing finger towards the pair. "What the hell was that? What are you trying to do? Attract the entire state to the school?

"Sorry, I didn't think it would be that loud." Scott shrugs unapologetically. Scott would end up letting everyone know of the existence of werewolves with his little stunt.

"Yeah it was loud and it was _awesome._" Stiles sang in boyish glee.

Fucking humans. "Shut up."

"Cameron tell your boyfriend to stop being such a sour wolf!"

"_Shut up!_'

"Wait what did you do with him?" Scott questions as he looks into the car.

"What?" Derek looks back at the car to find the veterinarian missing. "I didn't do anything." The two teenagers look to Cameron for an answer.

"Oh yeah, like I have the time to dispose of a two hundred pound body in two seconds."

It all happened so quickly. When Derek feels long sharp claws impale him through his back and out his stomach all he has is a quick moment to use his last bit of energy to push Cameron away from the Alpha's reach. The pain that was inflicted by an Alpha was excruciating. Its wounds could be fatal. Though Derek managed to find it bearable, what he found excruciating a female scream of fright.

Then, everything went black.

* * *

**Super LONG chapter! Hope you guys enjoyed this because I had fun writing it. I also had a lot of fun hinting at Cam's troubled past. How did you like how I ended this chapter? Thank you to everyone who reviews/follows/ favorites I love each and everyone of you.**

**Q: How is Derek going to deal with cam being mad?**

**A: See last half of chapter. He's a little smooth talking fucker so... he has ways of getting out of trouble.**

**Q: Cameron and the Alpha action?**

**A: Cam is pretty fed up with his shit so she'll try to do things to piss him off all while making sure he stays away.**

**Q: Can we see a jealous Derek in the future? **

**A: YES**

**Don't feel stupid/ lame for fangirling because I can't read reviews in the prescene of other human beings in fear of squealing or manic laughter.**

**Review the crap out of this :)**


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